Shadow of the Night: the Void Seer
by The-Serene-Mage
Summary: Shad'ara is pulled out of her mourning over Valdimirr by her cousin and taken to Outland for a day of errands. there she meets a male elf with the dream to see Azeroth for the first time. Over time, she keeps running into him, feeling the calling of Demonology, learning about the elf's strange ability, and discovering his past. Sequel to Shadow of the Night: the Demon Within. R&R!
1. Don't Mourn For Me

I am proud to present the sequel of Shadow of the Night: The Demon Within! Please enjoy :D

* * *

Light streamed into a dark room, resting on a solitary figure laying in a fetal position upon a bed. The figure was female, her hair a shine less black from malnutrition; her skin stripped of all color from days laying in darkness. Besides the rogue ray of sunshine peeking in, the only light in the room was a set of glowing crystals filigreed into a silver staff.

The female groaned out in pain from her malnourished body and in annoyance over the sunshine disturbing her from her from her sorrowful slumber.

"Shad'ara, sitting there in solitude, refusing to eat is not what Valdimirr would want you do, light rest his soul…" said a female voice coming from the doorway where the sunlight streamed in.

Shad'ara groaned again and pushed herself weakly into a sitting position, gazing at the trespasser in her solitary confinement with dim fel green eyes.

"Sallaria, go away and leave me to my sorrows…" Shad'ara said as she fell back to lie on the bed once more.

Sallaria placed a hand on her swollen belly before walking forward, unblocking more light to stream into the room.

"no, because I promised your father I would take you out to get some food and exercise into your body, and I plan to keep my promise," Sallaria said as she sat on Shad'ara's bed, placing a gentle hand on her cousin's thin shoulder.

Shad'ara remained silent towards her cousin, tears streaming down her pale face,

"Fine, but on one condition…" she murmured after a few silent moments.

"And what would that be?" Sallaria asked as she helped her cousin rise.

"We go see Valdimirr's… G-Grave…" Shad'ara said as an array of tears cascaded from her eyes.

"Anything to get you back on your feet and healthy again…" Sallaria murmured as she pushed herself to her feet, holding her belly as she steadied herself.

Shad'ara swung her legs to the floor, wobbling as she stood from the blood rushing to them and the weeks without exercise. She looked to her cousin, then down to her abdomen she was holding and sighed gently,

"Well, at least someone has a happy life…' she said as she hobbled over to the doorway, shielding her eyes from the bright light.

* * *

Sallaria leaned against the tree Valdimirr's grave was placed next to, the magenta leaves creating a slight pink hue over it. Shad'ara was cleaning it up, taking away the brown dried up flowers left over from his funeral before placing a bouquet of Peacebloom, Mageroyal-Valdimirr's favorite- and Kingsblood into an ivory vase at the base of the headstone.

As she rose to her feet, murmuring a prayer, she felts a chill run down her spine before her whole body became cold. She felt a light breeze brush over her ear as if someone was embracing her from behind.

'_My little shadow, please don't mourn for me, I was meant to die… Live your life looking forward and not back…_' murmured a whisper.

Shad'ara gasped slightly, recognizing the voice as Valdimirr's.

Sallaria, using her demonic eyes, saw an ethereal form of Valdimirr, holding Shad'ara, his arms resting on her elbows, and his chin resting on her shoulder. She smiled and looked up towards the sunlight, feeling she was intruding.

When a gentle spring breeze made the leaves of the tree dance, Shad'ara stepped towards her cousin, a slight smile upon her lips.

"I am ready to move on, where do we go next…?" she asked.

"We go to Outland, I need to pick up a few things for Lythnar and to get some special herbs, but first we will go find you some food,"

Shad'ara nodded and followed after her cousin to a pair of violet Hawkstriders pecking at the ground as they waited for their riders.

* * *

Shad'ara felt whole again with a full stomach, she felt as if her body was glowing with life as she walked through the busy streets of Shattrath. She wanted to explore while Sallaria was browsing through some stalls containing some herbs only native to this broken world.

She walked around the lower tier of the city, earning looks from orphans and refugees expecting for her to toss them a gold coin. She herself didn't have any coin with her, leaving it at home with her prayer book. She stopped near a tavern where loud music and laughter from drunken patrons echoed out. Her eyes settled on an imp running out holding a large tankard over its head.

Shad'ara's first thought was that the imp was Chouri,

"Bloody runt! Get your arse back here!" shouted a voice coming from the tavern.

Shad'ara felt the urge to do something nice, thinking Chouri had stolen from the tavern keep in one of his mischievous acts while Sallaria was busy. She followed after the imp until he stopped at the end of an alleyway, looking hungrily at the tankard, bringing it slowly to its lips.

"Chouri, what are you doing!?" Shad'ara said as she approached the imp.

The imp paused in his attempt to drink the liquid in the tankard, and looked at her with confusion. He shrugged his tiny shoulders and resumed trying to drink from the tankard.

"Dagrot!" boomed a masculine voice from behind Shad'ara "put that down before you find yourself well acquainted with my grimoire!" the voice boomed again.

Shad'ara looked over her shoulder and saw a male blood elf with spiked white hair, black horns protruding from his forehead. He wore a purple version of Sallaria's shoulder pieces that were connected to a purple breastplate. He wore a set of robes that reached his knees, parted and held open by a violet sash wrapped around his waist.

"You think I will listen to you?" asked the imp with a shrill voice.

"You will if you don't want to be sore in the morning!" snapped the male.

Shad'ara felt like she was invisible as the elf argued with the imp, she moved to the side before rising to her feet. As she went to leave, the elf touched her shoulder, gaining her attention.

"Never seen you in Shattrath before…" he said as he called his imp back to the void.

"I am just here with my cousin to run some errands," Shad'ara answered as she turned to face the male elf.

"You are not from Draenor, are you? He asked "you don't have that accent that most elves here have…" he added.

"No, I am from Azeroth, born in Eversong Woods. Why were you born here?" Shad'ara replied.

The male elf stayed quiet for a bit before sighing,

"I don't know, I grew up in the orphanage here, so I guess I was born on Draenor… but I would like to see Azeroth, any tips you can give me about how to get there…?" the elf answered.

"You can just ask a mage, or fly to the dark portal in Hellfire peninsula…" Shad'ara answered with a hint of awkwardness mixed in her voice.

The elf nodded slightly before holding out his hand,

"I'm Hagus by the way…" he said in a sincere voice.

"Shad'ara Sunbreeze…" she replied "it was nice meeting you, but I have to go find my cousin… good luck in finding your way to Azeroth…" Shad'ara said as she walked away from him.

* * *

"I can't believe out of all these stalls, none of them had Dreaming Glory in stock!" Sallaria exclaimed as she put her herbs in a satchel.

"We could go find some…" Shad'ara said as she helped her cousin with her supplies.

"It would be too dangerous in our conditions… there is something about the air of this place that makes the alliance and horde adventurers very aggressive, and I won't put my un-born child or recovering cousin in that risk over a herb!" Sallaria said as she pulled herself onto her mount.

"What do you need Dreaming Glory for anyway?" Shad'ara asked as she followed the same motions of her cousin.

Sallaria sighed gently, looking side to side before opening her robes to reveal her swollen belly, small black and purple blotches were scattered along the creamy skin.

"There is a special property in the herb that will reduce stretch marks, and keep the baby healthy… it also heals minor wounds on the skin, in this case, the bruises left by the baby's kicks," Sallaria answered.

Shad'ara looked at the swollen belly of her cousin for a few more moments before it got covered again when some city guards started passing nearby.

"Have you tried my parents? They get all kinds of herbs in their clinic; Dreaming glory could be among them…" Shad'ara offered.

"I doubt it, Dreaming glory is pretty hard to cultivate and it makes it really expensive to import, that is why I come here so I don't have to spend too much gold for a couple bushels of Dreaming glory," Sallaria replied as she motioned her Hawkstrider to move.

"But we better head back home, Haleira is waiting for us near the Terrace of Light," Sallaria said as she guided her Hawkstrider towards the large building in the center of the terrace.

* * *

Sallaria stopped by the Sanctum to check in with things during her maternity leave, Lythnar was teaching a young acolyte how to summon a demon properly before he caught sight of her. He clapped his hand on the young acolyte's shoulder before walking over to her, pulling her into a gentle embrace.

"Any luck finding what you need?" he asked.

"I found all but Dreaming Glory, all the vendors said another elf had bought them earlier that morning… but I will be fine, I will just have to settle with Bruiseweed for now," Sallaria replied.

Lythnar nodded before taking notice of Shad'ara walking in with a small crate in her arms, Lythnar approached her and took the crate from her arms to help her out.

"I'm guessing you were given weird looks when you bought the Shadowmoon Fel Crystals and Adamantite Powder…" Lythnar said as he summoned his Voidwalker to take the items from his hands.

"I didn't pay much attention, _your_ child kept kicking me…" Sallaria replied.

Lythnar chuckled before kissing Sallaria's cheek,

"It is your child too…" Lythnar replied.

"I know it is… But I need to return Shad'ara home, then go home myself, my back and feet hurt from walking all day," Sallaria said as she turned t her cousin.

"Alright, I should be home within a couple hours," Lythnar said before returning to his acolyte.

Sallaria stepped into the cool evening air blowing in from the Court of the Sun into Murder row, She thought she saw a figure hide behind the corner as she looked over in that direction, but she just excused it as her being tired.

"Let's take you home, I'm sure you would like to relax after a long day as well…" Sallaria said as she stroked her belly once more as the baby kicked.

Shad'ara nodded before turning back to her Hawkstrider, waiting for her cousin to be situated before motioning the beast forward.


	2. Shad'ara's Salves

A pair of eyes watched a dark purple orb radiating from a form of a shadowy demon. Inside were blurred images of humanoid figures and demons. The eyes watched intently, turning purple from the light reflecting off from the vision.

"I keep seeing her in every vision… what does it mean?" the figure asked itself.

The vision dissipated, the orb of shadow merging back with the shadowy demon. The figure rose to stand,

"Thank you Thangorg… that is all I needed for the day," said the figure dismissing the demon.

Thinking, the figure gazed out over the crimson hued city, down below were a few lowlifes huddling in the corner of the alleyway below. The figure sighed and turned to leave the room he rented, grabbing only a satchel and a grimoire.

* * *

Shad'ara rose early the next morning, cleaning up her room that was once her prison for nearly seven months. Using her light powers to bring her plants back to life, instantly sending a fragrance into the air, she gave her thirsty, once dead plants some water before leaving her room to care for the rest of her house.

To her astonishment, it was as if she was never closed off in her room, her plants and flowering herbs were healthy as ever. She never really noticed them until now, but it occurred to her, someone like Sallaria, her sister Lefra, her mother or father must have came to keep her house in order while she was closed away.

"Well, that takes a big chunk of things to do off my agenda…" Shad'ara murmured to herself.

Her eyes rested on a book laying open on a end table with an inkwell next to it, she walked over to it and read from a piece of parchment with elegant, but rushed handwriting. On the parchment was a title: _Sallaria's Herb List_. Shad'ara smiled and read the contents of the parchment.

_Bruiseweed: A common herb found growing near structures or sometimes hillsides. Its dried leaves can be used to make a bitter tea for sore throats. The small purple flowers can be dried and mixed into a salve to sooth sore and bruises, hence it's name._

_ Dreaming Glory: An unusual herb native in Outland. The strange glowing flower has healing properties to cure minor wounds, and like Bruiseweed, it can used to heal bruises, but at a much larger scale. Healers use this special herb in salves and potions used by pregnant woman to stay healthy._

_ Flame Cap: an herb found exclusively in Zangarmasrh, Outland. It is difficult to cultivate due to its unusual burning touch, but it is used by the natives of the marsh to warm up the body from chills and burn away disease. Many magic users seek this herb to enhance their spells._

_ Talandra's Rose: an herb common in Northrend, used mainly for beauty in one's home, fragrance in oils and perfumes. The rejuvenating properties of this herb is used by medics to keep infections from settling in. the herb is also used by pregnant woman seeking to keep their skin healthy during the second and third trimesters._

Shad'ara picked up the parchment and folded it, before closing the book. She tucked the parchment into a pocket in her robes before taking the book in her hands,

"Sunshadow's guide to herbs throughout the world and beyond…" Shad'ara whispered.

Valdimirr had told her about this book; it was how he became involved in Inscription, Alchemy, and Herbalism. Tiny purple ribbons stuck out of certain places of the book, each with a small sun trinket hanging off the end.

"Sallaria would need this more than me…" Shad'ara murmured to herself as she grabbed a satchel, placing the book within.

* * *

Lythnar let Shad'ara in, motioning her towards the kitchen where a mixture of smells radiated from. She heard the sound of a mortar and pestle tapping and bubbling liquids.

"Damn it all!" Sallaria yelled, the sound of the mortar being slammed down and Sallaria's bare feet rushing over to something.

As Shad'ara peeked into the kitchen, she saw her cousin trying to keep a pot from boiling over, it smelling of Briarthorn and Bruiseweed.

"Need help with that?" she asked.

Sallaria looked up quickly before moving the hot pot onto the counter and pouring it down the sink.

"I do in fact, my fingers are meant for sewing needles and filigrees, not herbs…" Sallaria said as she wiped her forehead with her sleeve.

"I also brought over your list of herbs you left at my house, even the book which you copied from,' Shad'ara said unearthing the objects. Sallaria took them from her cousin and placed them on a bookstand, opening it to a spot that she had bookmarked.

'That's what I forgot!" Sallaria exclaimed pulling a part a spring of Mana Thistle.

Shad'ara shook her head slightly, laughing quietly, before taking the herb from her cousin,

"Go sit down and relax, sew something for your child. I will take care of this…" Shad'ara said as she ushered her cousin out of the kitchen.

Sallaria removed a small apron she was wearing it and handed it to her cousin before walking down the corridor leading to the living area of her home.

Shad'ara looked around the kitchen; splatters were all over the wall form her cousin's attempts to make salves and other odd ends with the herbs she bought.

Shad'ara glanced over the passage Sallaria was looking over and began remaking the mixture she was attempting to make.

"It is Mageroyal, Sallaria…Not Briarthorn," Shad'ara muttered as she cleaned out the mortar.

* * *

Shad'ara carried a tray containing several labeled jars of salves and lotions, a few vials of fragrant oils, and a steaming cup of Bruiseweed tea. She placed it down on the table in front of her cousin who was sewing a tiny piece of clothing.

"Sallaria," Shad'ara said to gain her attention.

She looked up and placed her tailoring aside, hands folded over her swollen belly.

Lythnar walked over from the window, curious of what Shad'ara had made,

"I made you some salves to rub over your bruises, including some lotions to keep your skin healthy and stretch mark free. I also made you some oils to enrich your now delicate skin with vitamins," Shad'ara said holding a small vial of amber liquid.

"She always has delicate skin!" Lythnar exclaimed as he placed a hand on each of her shoulders; Sallaria sighed at him, accepting the tea cup from her cousin.

"This tea, it doesn't exactly heal bruises, but it makes them less noticeable, that is what the salve is for…" Shad'ara explained.

"Thank you Shad'ara, I would have used up all my herbs just to make this…" Sallaria said after she took a sip of the bitter tea.

Shad'ara smiled and rose to her feet,

"I am going to Silvermoon for a few things, do you need anything, or want to go at all?" she asked.

Sallaria shook her head, taking another sip of the tea,

"I was just about to head to the Sanctum," Lythnar said as he pulled on his hood.

Shad'ara nodded and waved her cousin goodbye before heading over to the door, pulling on her slippers.

* * *

Lythnar parted ways with Shad'ara, walking towards Murder Row where the sanctum was located. Shad'ara continued on to the Royal Exchange district.

The light of the sun shined on her ebony hair, absorbing the chilly air and making her head warm. Though Quel'Thalas had a spell on to make the land eternal spring, the seasons still changed. Judging by the temperature, it was mid autumn. Another give-away was the shop keepers putting out decorations for an Azerothian holiday.

"Pilgrim's Bounty starts soon…" Shad'ara murmured to herself 'I should get ingredients for a dish for the family banquet this year…" Shad'ara murmured once more as she turned for the inn.

As she passed through the violet curtains of the inn and into the main room of the inn, she spotted the innkeeper talking with a white-haired elf with spiked hair.

He looked to her and he easily recognized her. He held up his hand to excuse himself from the innkeeper and made his way over to Shad'ara.

"Hagus? What are you doing here?" Shad'ara asked when he came into speaking distance.

"I wanted to come to Azeroth, I found a mage willing to send me there without charging a ridiculous price," Hagus replied.

"I meant, why are you here in the inn? I thought you wanted to see Azeroth…" Shad'ara added.

"I'm looking for where I can find a map of the world; I only have one of Outland…" Hagus replied in a quiet voice.

"I can help you with that, let me just get some supplies first and I will take you to the city Scribe, he gives me special deals," Shad'ara said as she walked past Hagus and over to the innkeeper.


	3. Outland Warlocks Are Different

I hope everyone enjoyed their Turkey Day, I know I did being it was my dad's birthday this year :D Anyway this is my favorite chapter so far, mainly towards the end...

* * *

Shad'ara escorted Hagus to the Court of the Sun, if her memory served her correctly, the City's scribe was in a small building located just shy of the royal palace. Hagus looked around the city as they traveled, in awe over the tall elegant ivory towers, floating planters, the silken banners billowing in the soft breeze.

They came upon a set of ivory stairs climbing upwards along a large fountain and into the upper terrace of the court, containing the Arcane Academy for mages and the Temple of the Sun for the priests and priestess of the city. Shad'ara stopped to let a young apprentice run past them chasing a tiny elemental construct.

Shad'ara turned to her right, going towards an alcove where through sheer red curtains, shadowed figures moved around inside. Hagus followed, ducking into the small building after Shad'ara who was waiting for an elder elf to finish his task.

"Gaelien, I was wondering if you could make a map of Azeroth for my friend here," Shad'ara said politely, gesturing towards Hagus who was examining the tall building where books magically floated to their places high over their heads.

"What does he need a map for?" Gaelien asked, stroking his silver beard.

"His is a little sun-bleached, and out dated… it doesn't have the right landmarks of today…" Shad'ara lied.

"Oh, alright… But I will need some arcane dust from the building next door, I will make it enchanted to be able to be weather resistant and it will update as he explores…" Gaelien said as he picked up a red feathered quill and started scratching along some parchment.

"I can get the basic map done in about forty-five minutes, but to make it with the special enchantment as I just explained, I will need that dust. If you get that for me, I will consider that payment for my services," the elder elf said as he started sketching out the Eastern Kingdoms on the parchment.

"Alright, thank you Gaelien. I will be back with your arcane dust as fast as I can," Shad'ara said as she turned to leave the alcove, Hagus following her out into the bright sun.

* * *

The arcane dust was a little hard to obtain, the enchantress needed something enchanted with pure arcane in order to get enough that Gaelien needed. Shad'ara excused herself and ran over to the Sanctum, leaving Hagus with the enchantress.

"Sure, I have something charged with pure arcane… but," Lythnar said as he held a grimoire open in his arms.

"But what?" Shad'ara asked.

"It will get destroyed in the process, and I don't want to lose it…" Lythnar replied.

"Do you know where I can get an item willing to be parted with for Arcane Dust?" Shad'ara asked.

Lythnar thought for a moment, closing the grimoire and placing it on a book stand.

"I'm sure you are tired of running around, but the Arcane Academy should have some arcane crystals… Haleira may have some or any other mage there…" Lythnar said as he turned his attention to an acolyte about to swoon from over exertion.

"Thank you Lythnar," Shad'ara said running out of the Sanctum and towards the Arcane Academy.

* * *

Haleira greeted Shad'ara as she entered through the main archway of the academy courtyard. Shad'ara waved back before turning into one of the small rooms of the academy, Sheor'ath within, murmuring a spell under his breath.

"I don't mean to disturb, but I need something that yields Arcane Dust…" Shad'ara said in a gentle tone.

Sheor'ath looked up from his reading and pointed to a shelf where arcane crystals of all shapes and colors were stored. He returned to his reading without muttering a word.

"Thank you Sheor'ath…" Shad'ara said as she left his office, waving farewell to Haleira as she left, she made her way back to the enchantress.

* * *

"Here, this should be enough to last Gaelien a few weeks, tell him he owes me a stack of arcane scrolls for this…" said the Enchantress as she tossed Shad'ara a medium sized sack.

"Thank you Enchantress," Shad'ara said as she left the building, making her way back to Gaelien.

Gaelien was drawing the compass on the map when Shad'ara walked into his lab. He held out his freehand for the dust, pulling the not free before taking a pinch of arcane dust and sprinkling it over the still wet ink. He repeated the motions until the entire map sparkled with arcane dust,

"Now we wait for the enchantment to take place… Now, what do I owe Kiera?" Gaelien said as he dusted his hands.

"She said a stack of arcane scrolls would be what you owe her," Shad'ara replied.

"Lucky for her, I have enough dust to make my special ink for her scrolls," Gaelien said as he picked up an inkwell with tiny red embers flickering upwards. He put a pinch of arcane dust into it before stirring in the dust with the large blue quill.

"Your enchantment should be done, be careful for the wet ink, the map clips are in the box on the shelf behind you…" Gaelien said as he began drawing in odd symbols with sparkling ink.

"Thank you Gaelien," Shad'ara said as she grabbed four clips and heading out into the city once more.

She handed the map to Hagus, placing the clips on each corner and inspecting for any patches of wet ink.

"The detail in this map is astounding!" Hagus exclaimed as he looked over the Eastern Kingdoms.

"Yes, it is amazing how talented Gaelien is in his craft," Shad'ara said as she started walking towards Murder Row.

Hagus rolled up his new map around his slightly tattered map of Draenor before sticking them into his satchel.

Shad'ara caught a glimpse of a black grimoire with bright violet runes etched into the spine,

"So, if you were an orphan... how did you become a warlock?" Shad'ara asked.

Hagus paused and thought for a moment, furrowing his brow,

"I don't know, I had the power over demonology as long as I can remember…" he replied looking to Shad'ara.

"What is your demonic hunger?" Shad'ara asked.

"My what?" Hagus asked with a raised brow.

"Your demonic hunger, It is what your inner demon craves the most when it is trapped within your subconscious…" Shad'ara replied, sitting down on a bench.

"I don't have an Inner Demon…" Hagus answered nonchalantly.

"All warlocks do… it is how they advance in the art of fel magic…" Shad'ara said with a slight confusion.

"Outland Warlocks are probably different… I mean I can take the form of a demon, but only for a short while…" Hagus replied.

"That is a factor… so, since you don't have an inner demon, what is it you study then?" Shad'ara asked.

"Demonology and Affliction…" Hagus answered without hesitation.

Shad'ara felt her mood drop, her face going blank as she looked to her hands.

"What? Did I say something wrong?" Hagus asked noticing her body language.

Shad'ara looked to Hagus with an emotionless face.

"There was once a warlock who studied those subjects and ended up hurting my cousin, her companion, and my late-mate…" Shad'ara answered lowly.

"What happened?" Hagus asked as he sat next to Shad'ara on the bench.

Shad'ara rose to her feet, turning her back to Hagus before looking to the sky with a sigh.

"I don't want to talk about it; I am still tender about the subject…" Shad'ara said quietly before walking away from Hagus.

"Where are you going?" Hagus asked, reaching out for her wrist.

Shad'ara moved her arm out of range, her form becoming encased in shadow,

"I-I need to get out of here… To be alone, or I will hurt someone…" Shad'ara said as she broke off in a run towards Murder Row, shadow billowing off her like a flame.

Hagus watch her shadowed form disappear in the darkness of Murder Row before rising to his feet himself. He looked to the darkening sky and summoned a demonic steed to take him back to the inn he was staying at.

_'A shadowed priestess… who is suffering from grief of a lost loved one… Interesting…' _Hagus thought to himself as his steed entered the Farstrider Square.


	4. You're The Reason She's Like This

A shadowy figure rushed past Lythnar as he was exiting the Sanctum; he watched it disappear around the corner of the archway leading to the main gate of the city.

"Shad'ara!" Lythnar gasped.

His eyes settled on a figure on the back of a Fel Steed heading his way. Lythnar clenched his fists and felt himself starting to transform. When the figure came within distance, Lythnar lunged for him, his claws gripping his dark robes.

"What did you do to her!?" Lythnar snapped in a demonic voice.

Hagus remained calm, grabbing the demonic hands to pry himself free,

"I didn't do anything, she only asked what I studied and I told her!" Hagus snapped as he ripped away the hands.

"There is something else, she normally wouldn't get provoked enough to allow the shadows to consume her!" he hissed as his voice began to revert to normal.

"I swear I didn't do anything else!" Hagus snapped once more "I didn't even know she would be affected so much…" Hagus added as he calmed himself down as best as he could.

"Well then, what do you study? Lythnar asked, stepping away from Hagus.

"I study Demonology, with Affliction on the side…" Hagus replied.

"I can see why she reacted, there was one who had harmed us using Affliction… mainly her," Lythnar answered in a low voice.

"She told me it was her late mate, what happened?" Hagus asked, straightening his robes and dusting them off.

"I would rather not say it is up to her if she wants to tell you. But she will have to recover from her shadow before you will see her again," Lythnar said turning away from Hagus, his robes swishing around his boots.

* * *

Shad'ara held her head in her hands, struggling against the shadow trying to invade her mind. Sweat dripped down from her temples to her chin as she struggled to keep her mental state in check.

"Go away! Go away! Go away! Go away! Go away!" Shad'ara chanted in a weak voice.

Her head pounded in response to her pleas, her will over her mind slightly weakening at the pain send through her mind.

'_Why send away the Shadow, when you can embrace it?_' asked a shadowy voice.

Shad'ara looked up though her shadowed eyes; at first all she saw was shadow billowing like a flame around her form.

'_I can give you freedom from the shadow, all you have to do is to drop your guard and embrace it…_' the voice said again.

Shad'ara pushed herself to her feet, looking all around her room, her eyes finally settling on an ethereal figure standing by Valdimirr's stave.

'_It will help you get over Valdimirr, you will be as if he never perished at the claws of Niros,_' the figure whispered again.

Shad'ara flinched when the figure became less ethereal, silver hair, grey skin, and fierce red eyes stood out against dark purple robes.

"Aunt I-Ira..." Shad'ara said in fright.

Shad'ara backed away until she was up against the wall, fear relevant in her shadowed face. Her knees were starting to shake from them becoming weak.

_'No need to be frightened dear, I won't hurt you… But if you continue to live like this, you will only hurt yourself!_' Iradari said with a slight chuckle.

"G-Go away!" Shad'ara shrieked.

Iradari turned towards Valdimirr's staff, wrapping grey fingers around the smooth metal pole before lifting it away from the staff.

'_How sweet that you kept this,_' she said '_it still has his blood on it…_' she chuckled as she scraped away some dried blood and licked it off.

"P-Put that down now!" Shad'ara snapped before flinching as the shadow attacked her mental wall once more.

'_Did I hit a nerve?_' Iradari chuckled darkly as she released the staff from her grip, letting it clatter loudly on the floor.

Shad'ara gripped her fist and lunged for a flower vase to her right, with a loud scream, she sent it flying from her grip, it going through Iradari like air, and shattering on the wall behind her. Iradari smiled darkly to herself before flickering away like smoke.

Shad'ara fell to her knees, crying and gripping her head in pain,

"I-it was just an illusion from the shadow… I-it wasn't real… It is not real…" Shad'ara said to herself as she rocked back and forth.

* * *

Shadow shifted between several visions, the demons were absent, what showed was a dark scar in the earth, a sickly land, and a decayed building with dark runes and fetid corpses stalked. The shadow darkened and then showed a blurred figure with white hair, dark wings and multiple arms stretched upwards shouting out in a demonic roar. Before the vision could get clearer, the shadow dissipated, merging back into a demonic claw.

"Thangorg… You may leave my presence now, I need to think on tonight's visions…" said the figure.

The demon merged into the figure's shadow, light slowly returning to the room. The figure sat at a desk, leafing through a tome in thought.

* * *

Hagus stopped by the Sanctum the next day, he felt himself react to the great amounts of Fel Energy in the air from the sinister green crystals. He examined the room from floor to ceiling before walking over to a group of acolytes absorbing power from a large crystal.

"Acolytes, a few more minutes before we send you out in the field!" commanded a master warlock leaning against the wall.

Hagus turned to the master with a raised eyebrow,

"Out in the field…?" he asked.

The master warlock turned his attention to Hagus, pushing away from the wall to try and intimidate him.

"Yes, where they get their minds taken over by a demon," the master warlock said in a sharp tone.

"That's torture!" Hagus snapped.

"Not to them, they train their early days for this ceremony, if you think it is torture… then maybe you aren't a true warlock!" the master warlock replied.

"Lur'kai!" snapped a voice in the direction behind Hagus.

The master warlock flinched as his eyes settled on the voice's owner,

"M-Master S-Sallaria…. I-"Lur'kai stammered.

Hagus turned to face the newcomer, his fel green eyes settling on a female with white-blonde hair, light skin, and a swollen belly.

"Don't even try Lur'kai, you are being rude to a fellow warlock, and are sending out these acolytes too early in their training!" Sallaria snapped.

Lur'kai stepped back and raised his hand, breaking the acolyte's connection to the fel crystals before turning his back to Sallaria.

Lythnar walked from a small room from the back of the Sanctum, an armful of objects in his arms.

"Don't worry about Lur'kai; he likes to be intimidating to the acolytes… To answer your question properly, the acolytes go to a special place in the Ghostlands called the Dead Scar, there they get a void stone that binds them to their inner demon," Sallaria said as she walked up to Lythnar.

"Ready to go see Shad'ara?" Lythnar asked as he handed Sallaria some of the supplies.

Sallaria nodded and opened a satchel hanging from her shoulder,

"Hopefully these items will suck away her shadow… she is in danger," Sallaria replied.

"I should go, she told me that she could hurt people in her shadow form," Hagus said as he stepped closer.

Lythnar gave a sideways glare at Hagus, placing the supplies in the satchel before grabbing Sallaria's shoulder.

"We know what we are doing!" Lythnar snapped "You are the reason she is like this in the first place!" Lythnar added with a hiss.

Hagus just stood there as Lythnar and Sallaria walked away. He waited until they were out of sight before following them. Keeping out of sight and being quick as he could.


	5. Repairing the Connection to the Light

Thank you for being patient. Things are starting to heat up in the story, and I am starting to get excited in writing the next chapters :) Please, enjoy.

* * *

Several weeks later, Shad'ara sat in the gardens outside the Temple of the Sun. she sighed as she rested her chin on her knees. The attack from her Shadow weakened her hold over the light, making her unable to continue her studies in the Temple.

The light inside her flickered like a candle flame, not like the fire it should be, like anyone else of her class.

"I'm a disgrace to the family legacy…." She murmured to herself.

As the sun passed behind the palace, creating a shadow over the gardens, Shad'ara pushed herself to her feet, moving towards the archway connecting the gardens to the royal district of the city. She dragged her feet through the cobblestone streets, her head hanging low and her arms wrapped around her torso in depression. She no longer felt warmed by the sun like she used to, she only felt cold and empty.

* * *

Shad'ara found her way in the Moonglade, sitting in the clinic her night elven mother ran with her father, making salves and medicines for the people.

"An'da I don't know what to do, I can't even cast a simple healing spell any more…" Shad'ara said as she sat in the back room of her father's clinic.

He paused in his working to look at his daughter; he reached up, placing a warm hand on her cheek.

"You're just dwelling on it too much, you need to think positively and believe you can do it," he answered.

"Your father is right, Shad'ara. If you think negative, your connection to the healing arts will be severed, and you will be left in Shadow…" said a feminine voice.

Shad'ara looked up and rested her eyes on her mother, her lilac skin and emerald hair glowing in the natural light of the glade. She walked over to her daughter and pulled her into an embrace, sending the rejuvenating earth magics into her daughter from their contact.

"Your life has been full of stress since Valdimirr, perhaps you should find something to keep your mind off the dark memories to strengthen your inner light…" murmured her mother.

"Elunae, what could she do?" asked her father "she is behind in her training of the healing arts and that rules out a healer, she isn't good with a sword, ruling out a fighter…" he added.

"She could work where the light is the strongest, there is a small group of Crusaders and druids working in restoring the Plaguelands, she could work in the camps, making potions and salves for them, all while re-connecting with the light," Elunae answered.

"The Plaguelands!?" her father exclaimed "it is dangerous there!" he added.

"Iranil, she will be safe, there are beacons of light to ward off the undead and plagued wildlife, and it will be alright. The Western side of the Plaguelands are far better than the east, the Crusade won't send her there until she has a stronger connection to the light…" Elunae explained.

"I know that, but with Sylvanas fighting to keep the Plaguelands the way they are has opened up constant battles with the Alliance, then there are the redeemed Death Knights also there…" Iranil said, placing a hand to his forehead as he began to feel the talons of stress dig in.

Shad'ara thought on the idea of working for the crusade, it would reconnect her to the light, enough to keep the shadow at bay… but she would also get to see her older sister and twin brother.

"An'da… I think I agree with min'da, I mean think about how close I will be to the light, tethering my bond to the light. Plus I get some activity and income into my life, giving me a chance to see Laerin and Lefra," Shad'ara said in a reassuring voice.

"Is this what you really want, little shadow?" Iranil asked, resting his sincere eyes on his daughter.

Shad'ara smiled at the use of her nickname by her father, looking to her mother before sighing gently,

"Yes, I am sure… This will help me keep my hold over the light, banishing the curse that is shadow, and help me uphold the family legacy as priests," Shad'ara answered.

"Very well, I wish you a safe journey. I will pray for the safety for you and your siblings," Iranil said as he reached out to pat his daughter's shoulder.

* * *

Shad'ara visited the Sanctum the next day, eager to spread the news to Lythnar and then to Sallaria about her departure to the Plaguelands. But Lythnar was someplace else; he struggled to hide his smile while he was looking through some paperwork.

"Last time I seen you smile like this, you found out Sallaria was pregnant, what is the reason this time?" Shad'ara commented, standing in front of Lythnar's desk.

Lythnar paused in his work, placing the quill he was using into its holder before looking to Shad'ara.

"Twilliara came over last night to check up on Sallaria, and she told us not only that the baby is healthy, but the gender…" Lythnar said with a wide smile.

"And?" Shad'ara asked, feeling her heart speed up in anticipation.

"We're having a son, Sallaria and I already settled on a name. Since this baby brought us together, we are naming it in the honor of our union, Sallnar…" Lythnar answered.

"That is wonderful news!" Shad'ara exclaimed.

Lythnar nodded, smiling once more, "enough of Sallaria and I, what did you need to tell me?" Lythnar asked.

"I found a way to repair my severed connection to the light; I will be working with the Crusade and the Cenarion Circle in the Plaguelands making Salves and potions near high concentrations of light…" Shad'ara answered.

"Wonderful, I wish you luck in recovering, and hope for your safety, the Plaguelands are still as dangerous with the constant battles between the Horde and the Alliance," Lythnar replied.

"Thank you, I will be with my brother and sister while working with the Druids and the Crusade, I hope to return stronger in my connection to the light…" Shad'ara commented.

Lythnar rose to his feet and held out his hand, Shad'ara took it and was given a strong handshake from him,

"Good luck, you will need it," Lythnar murmured once he let go and sat back down.

Shad'ara smiled and backed away, leaving Lythnar's office and entering the main room of the Sanctum. As she exited the building, her eyes settled on a figure standing across from the building, leaning on the ivory wall with a boot resting upon it and arms crossed. An imp rested on the figure's shoulder like a bird, gripping the fabric of a dark robe the figure wore.

"Feeling better?" the figure asked, pushing himself away from the wall.

Shad'ara nodded slightly, noticing the figure as Hagus. His horns were protruding from his forehead once again, his eyes a bright fel green.

"Yes, I am…" Shad'ara replied with an even tone.

Hagus stopped just a few steps away from her, almost towering over her,

"Look, I'm sorry about bringing up the past… I didn't mean to harm you in any way…" Hagus said with a sigh.

"It's fine; don't bring it up again… I don't want to go through that hell again. Besides I have a way to keep myself occupied from going through that…" Shad'ara said as she held up her hands.

"What?" Hagus asked, feeling a weight lift from his shoulders.

"I am going to work with a group heavily tied by the light and offer my skills as an alchemist," Shad'ara answered as she started to walk away.

"Would that be the Argent Crusade and the Cenarion Circle in the Plaguelands?" Hagus asked.

Shad'ara stopped in mid step, gasping before turning around to look at Hagus with her mouth hanging open in shock.

"H-How did you-?" Shad'ara asked in astonishment.

Hagus silently swore to himself, flicking his imp on the back of his head as he started chuckling,

"I uh… overheard it..." Hagus replied.

Shad'ara crossed her arms, eyeing the elf in front of her suspiciously,

"How? The door to the office was closed and I made sure of that…" Shad'ara noted.

Hagus sighed and sagged his shoulders,

"I have told you that Outland Warlocks are different… did I?" Hagus asked.

Shad'ara nodded slightly, keeping her gaze the same,

"I have uh, increased senses…" Hagus added nervously.

"Once again, how when you have no Inner Demon?" Shad'ara asked once more.

"You forgot that I grew up in Outland…. The Nether energy of that world had some strange affects on me," Hagus answered in a low voice.

"Humph… whatever you say" Shad'ara said unsatisfied over the answers she was given. She turned her back to Hagus, leaving him alone in Murder Row.

"You are in so much trouble!" Dagrot snickered in his shrill impish voice.

"Shut up you flaming arse!" Hagus snapped before moving towards the inn.


	6. To the Plaguelands Part 1

Okay the first part of Shad'ara's time in the Plaguelands, heavily influenced b my questing days there with her inn game XD Enjoy!

* * *

Shad'ara entered the first camp the Crusade had set up, paladins, druids, and priests were all around her training warriors or scouts in the battle strategies required for fighting n the Plaguelands. She came upon a table where a short line of recruits waited. She stood behind a Troll dressed like a witch-doctor, his staff radiating in a purple aura of his voodoo magic.

"Next!" boomed a stout human male sitting at the table.

The line moved forward, bringing her closer to registering with the Crusade as an alchemist, while she waited, she examined the camp. Towers made of white marble where beams of pure light radiated up towards the sky surrounded her. On horseback were sentries of the Crusade with Druids in cat form followed beside them. The line moved forward once more, the Troll between her and the register.

"What do you plan to offer the Crusade?" she heard the human ask.

"I be offerin' da voodoo" replied the troll in a thick southern Kalimdor accent.

"Hmmm… right, I will assign you to the Druids of the circle as their scryer…" mumbled the male as he held out a Cenarion tabard to the troll.

As the troll stepped away, going to the right where Druids stood around a Moonwell, meditating.

"Next!" roared the human.

Shad'ara stepped forward, standing straight out of politeness, waiting for the Human to acknowledge her.

"Name?" he asked.

"Shad'ara Sunbreeze, sir" she replied.

"Sunbreeze, eh…" the human noted as he wrote down her name "Class?" he asked once more.

"I am a priestess of Silvermoon," Shad'ara replied once more.

"Professions?" asked the human once again.

"I am an Alchemist and Herbalist…" Shad'ara answered.

"Alright, what do you plan to offer the Crusade?" asked the human, intertwining his fingers together.

"I plan to offer my skills and an Alchemist to provide medicine and salves for the soldiers and Druids, sir" Shad'ara answered in a noble tone.

"I will assign you to Druidess Moonbreeze and her assistant Sunbreeze…" the Human responded "you wouldn't be related, would you…?" asked the male.

"He is my, uh… brother sir…" Shad'ara replied as she accepted the Crusade tabard from him.

"Hmm... very well, you may leave for your post… Next!" the human said as he dismissed Shad'ara.

Shad'ara pulled the tabard over her head, straightening it over her robes as she walked over to a tent covering crates filled with vials both empty and filled. A male elf wearing blue and silver robes was crushing some herbs with a mortar and pestle as she approached the tent. She smiled before knocking lightly on the table.

"I will get your salve to you when it is done, just wait for another five minutes!" said the elf in a stressed voice.

"I didn't ask for a salve, Laerin…" Shad'ara said, gaining the elf's attention.

"By the light, Shad'ara, what are you doing here?" Laerin asked, placing down his alchemical tools.

"I came here to work as an alchemist; I need to keep myself busy in order to keep the Shadow for attacking me again…" Shad'ara replied.

Laerin placed his hand to his forehead, shaking his head slightly as he sighed,

"Just as I thought it was bad being the brother a Night elf, my Sin'Dorei sister comes to the same camp… Things are going to be hard to explain…' Laerin sighed.

"Laerin, it will be okay I-"

"No, don't promise me anything! It is bad enough that I was born as a high elf, and forced to study in Stormwind, while you got to learn in our homeland!" Laerin snapped, his light blue eyes flaring in frustration.

"This again?" Shad'ara sighed.

Laerin threw his hands up in the air in defeat, stepping around the table before walking off towards the human who registered Shad'ara into the Crusade.

* * *

The first few days at the camp were slow; Shad'ara was tasked with cleaning and packing the herbs into bushels that the druids gathered throughout the Plaguelands. Laerin hardly spoke to her, only when he needed to ask her to retrieve some supplies from storage. Shad'ara had yet to see her sister Lefra, She expected not too see her anytime soon due to the druids switching shifts for scouting missions in the wilderness of the Plaguelands.

"Shad'ara, I need you to deliver these potions to Menders' Stead, it is located across from Andorhal, and you may take my horse…" Laerin said as she approached the table.

"Do I have to leave now? I just carried three baskets of Sungrass and Blindweed so you can make your far superior potions!" Shad'ara snapped, slamming down the baskets of herbs.

"I am too busy trying to complete a quota to deliver the potions at the moment…" Laerin explained with a sigh, pausing in his alchemy.

"No, you just don't want me around you; all you High Elves are the same, no matter if they are blood kin or not, they don't want a Blood Elf near them!" Shad'ara snapped.

Shad'ara, do not give me this today, please…" Laerin said with a sigh, reaching out to grab his sister's hand.

Shad'ara backed away before Laerin could come in contact with her,

"Don't touch me; you may catch my non-existent magic addiction!" Shad'ara hissed as she walked away, grabbing the satchel of potions for delivery.

"You need to start treating her better, Laerin… She doesn't need the negativity of your shattered relationship to keep her from recovering…" murmured a voice.

Laerin sighed and sealed a freshly made potion before looking to a white panther with silver eyes holding a bushel of herbs in its mouth.

"What could she be possibly be recovering from Lefra? I am always in Stormwind and never get to see her or father…" Laerin replied as he started on another potion.

"You don't sense the Shadow inside her? I can feel it as if it is the tainted earth itself…" Lefra said as she placed the small bushel on the table.

Laerin remained silent; he never realized how much his sister was suffering from the shadow… Then he remembered her words on her first day here, he closed his eyes and rubbed the eyelids with his index finger and thumb.

"I am so naïve…" Laerin muttered to himself.

"Mother and father sent me a letter explaining why she was here… She is trying to repair her connection to the light; her last attack nearly broke it…" Lefra murmured.

"I had no idea…" Laerin replied, feeling his heart sink.

* * *

Shad'ara arrived at the Crusade Camp, Menders' Stead. It was small, and the druids outnumbered the Crusaders by at least five to one. Her eyes settled on the supply table where a Dwarf was writing down Inventory on a piece of parchment.

"Oye! Where are the potions I requested!?" the Dwarf barked.

Shad'ara walked over to the Dwarf, tapping his shoulder to gain his attention. When the Dwarf heaved a heavy sigh and swatted her hand away, Shad'ara had no choice but to force the Dwarf to turn around.

"I'm sorry for that good sir, but I am here to deliver your potions," Shad'ara said as she handed him the satchel.

"Well it be about time, took your time did ye?" the dwarf said, placing his hands on his hip.

"I apologize, I don't know my way around the Plaguelands…' Shad'ara confessed.

"Are you daft!? You could have gotten yourself killed!" the Dwarf snapped.

Shad'ara flinched at the smaller creature's outburst, felling like a child who had just been scolded for bad behavior.

"I can handle myself fine good sir," Shad'ara said defiantly.

"Oh ya can? Prove it!" the Dwarf said condescendingly.

"What would you like me to do?" Shad'ara asked.

The Dwarf scratched the back of his head and looked around the camp before his eyes settled on a Death Knight leaning against the tree near the flight Master.

"See that Dead Knight over there? I want ye to speak with 'im and have 'im escort ya to Andorhal. There you will follow under the command of his boss and when he sends back his weekly report, I will know if ye can handle yourself." The Dwarf explained.

Shad'ara flinched, feeling her nerves tingle at the thought of entering a battleground with no way to connect to the light.

"There might be one problem sir…" Shad'ara confessed.

"What ye daft twit? Ye scared of an abomination rippin' ye in half?" the Dwarf half teased.

"No, I am here as an Alchemist, recovering from a condition I have…" Shad'ara replied.

"Ye should have stayed home if ye be ill lass, the battleground is no place for a sickly elfy that can't even fight…" the Dwarf said as he took out a clay pipe.

"I am not sick; I have a condition that only high concentrations of light can fix!" Shad'ara snapped.

"Not me problem…" The Dwarf said as he turned away, exhaling a few puffs of smoke from his pipe.

Shad'ara clenched her fists, her rage boiling within and cold tendrils spreading throughout her body. She took a deep breath and walked over to a weapon stand where a smooth metal staff lay, as she touched it, she felt the wave of energy run through her fingers, banishing the cold spreading within her body.

"That is a Light imbued staff, you may have it while you are out in the field…" said a soft voice.

Shad'ara turned to face an Elderly female human sitting in a chair, mending tabards and other linen goods.

"Thank you my lady," Shad'ara said sweetly.

"No, thank you, you are the first priest to use that staff since it was commissioned by the Crusade Blacksmith, Swords are more popular here," said the woman.

Shad'ara smiled and bowed to the Elderly woman before turning to the Death Knight, visible bones gave away the race of the ex-scourge soldier.

"What is it now?" asked the Knight in a hollow voice.

"I was told to be brought to Andorhal to work under your leader until he sends his weekly reports…" Shad'ara answered as she balanced on the staff.

The death knight pushed himself away from the tree, hoisting a large runeblade onto his shoulder,

"Very well, Commander Deathweaver won't be happy for this interruption… If he sends his ghouls after me, I will maim you beyond recognition!" snapped the Death Knight as he began walking towards the Flight Master, tossing him two gold coins for passage.

"Another sheep for the Slaughter, eh Damion?" asked the Flight Master.

Shad'ara sighed sharply, causing the Flight Master to flinch,

"No, I have to show that I can prove myself to a bunch of walking corpses!" Shad'ara snapped.

Damion growled under his breath, reaching out to grab Shad'ara hard by the forearm, pulling her over to a Gryphon prepared for its journey to Andorhal. Shad'ara felt nervous entering battle so soon, but it wouldn't be like this if Laerin sent someone who was actually ready for battle and suffering from the Shadow like she was. It was going to be a long week.


	7. To the Plaguelands part 2

Something is happening to Shad'ara, and no one can understand, I hope you enjoy this one, I worked hard on this :)

* * *

Shad'ara swung her staff against the head of a ghoul, sending it crumbling backwards. Three days she was at this, being told to go bolster a gate here or go slay some abominations to help the soldiers in battle there. She grew weary with each hour; the evil aura the scourge radiated creating a weight on her shoulder, draining her strength. She wiped the sweat from her forehead before heading back to the Horde section of Andorhal to give her report.

Commander Deathweaver was standing in the middle of the encampment speaking with some Forsaken minutemen. When he was dismissed she moved forward,

"I bring my report sir," Shad'ara announced.

Commander Deathweaver turned to face her, his white skin catching the sunlight, he settled his icy eyes on her, fixed in the usual scowl that most Death Knights had.

"What is the status out on the field?" he asked in a chilling voice.

"The Scourge forces have been beaten back for now, the battlefield clear for advancement," she replied.

"Good, you may return to the barracks for some rest until I rally the troops," Commander Deathweaver replied.

Shad'ara nodded and walked towards the inn where the barracks were located. The Forsaken innkeeper eyed her as she passed by, remaining silent as she descended the stone stairs leading down to the sleeping quarters. She felt cold, her heart fluttering as she lay upon a cot.

* * *

"Shad'ara," Commander Deathweaver said as he noticed Shad'ara walk out of the inn yawning.

"Yes sir?" she replied.

"I've received a report of the Scourge mass producing soldiers using a strange device called a Scourge Bone Animus…" Commander Deathweaver explained.

"And you want me to go out behind enemy lines to destroy it instead of sending an engineer to destroy them?" Shad'ara replied in a slight hostile voice.

Commander Deathweaver hissed and turned to face her fully, his icy eyes blazing like the runic flames used by the Scourge.

"You dare use that tone of voice with your commanding officer!?" Commander Deathweaver growled.

"I never seen you send anyone else out to do your dirty work, all I've seen you do is send me out as cannon fodder, risking my life just so your blasted queen could keep the land the originally belonged to the humans!" Shad'ara growled before turning away, her robes swishing around her feet.

Just as quick as it happened, a black and purple tendril of dark energy shot outwards and grabbed Shad'ara by the waist yanking her back to the commander.

"Listen to me you little bitch, you may seem like you are being used, but you aren't! Every day I get reports that my forces are being slaughtered by both the Scourge and the Alliance between battles taking place farther than I send you!" Deathweaver growled.

Shad'ara struggled against the grip of the Death Knight, the dark energy causing the shadow deep within react, her will starting to slip.

"Let go of me!" she hissed, shadow erupting out of her to consume her hands.

As she released the shadowy spell, the tendrils that were wrapped around her waist dropped her to the stone ground. Her body started to grow warm after the shadow left her body, making her realize what had happen.

The shadow didn't harm the commander as it would any other person; his armor glowed in a violet light, reflecting the spell and causing it fade away into the air. When the commander recovered, Shad'ara was gone, running off into the wilderness of the Plaguelands. Foolish of her, but she needed to escape before something worse could happen while her emotions were unbalanced.

She ran until she reached the lake, sitting on a slightly rotted tree trunk, watching the hem of her robes get muddy from the moist ground. Besides the distant sounds of clashing metal and the wildlife filling her ears, the sound of her sniffling accompanied the noises as she cried in fright of her weakening strength against the war going on within her head between the Shadow of the Light.

* * *

"You damn dwarf!" Laerin growled, his hands glowing brightly in holy fire "why did you send my sister to Andorhal!?" he snapped.

"Oye lad, calm your breeches," the Dwarf said as he held up his hands in an attempt to calm the enraged High Elf.

"Don't try to get out of this Durgan! My sister can't even call upon the light because of her condition!" Laerin growled extinguishing the holy fire and gripping the tabard of the Dwarf.

"She shouldn't of enlisted if she be ill, lad" Murgan sneered.

"You fool; she is here to treat her illness! She is plagued by the Shadow and came here to mend her connection to the light!" Laerin growled once more.

"How can the lass mend her connection the light by coming to a dangerous area?" Durgan asked as he fought against the grip the elf had on his tabard.

"What does the Argent Crusade work with?" Laerin asked.

"The Light, what about it?" Durgan replied with a cocky tone.

"What do we have posted at every major camp to keep the Scourge at bay?" Laerin asked once more.

"Beacons of light, what is the point of these pointless questions lad?" Durgan said clearly annoyed at the elf.

"Where there are high concentrations of light, those following the path of Shadow are weakened and their shadow burned away, their souls healed and redeemed," Laerin explained.

Durgan gulped at the explanation he was granted,

"With Andorhal not under the command of the Crusade or the Cenarion Circle, there are no beacons of light to burn away the shadows. The constant battles the Horde or the Alliance have against the Scourge make the shadow prominent, thus weakening the shadow inflicted light users, in this case, my sister…" Laerin explained once more.

He released the dwarf, having him fall on the dirt hard as he stood straight, dusting his hands,

"You sent my sister to a fate worse than death, if she loses her connection to the light, there will be no place in the whole of Azeroth where you can hide!" Laerin growled as he moved to where a white horse bearing the seal of the Crusade on its saddle.

* * *

_"My little Shadow, what's wrong?" Valdimirr asked._

_ Shad'ara looked up, wiping away some tears before they could slip down her cheek, sniffling as she saw her mate leaning in the door way of their room._

_ "I lost control again… I hurt a novice priestess when the Shadow overtook me…" she answered with a raspy voice._

_ The sound of Valdimirr's robes shifting and his boots tapping against the floor filled the sad elf's ears. When he sat next to her on the bed, she moved into his open arms as he offered his comfort._

_ "It will be alright my Shadow… you can fight this curse and come out as a shining beacon of light to banish it forever…" Valdimirr murmured before he placed a soft kiss on the top of her head._

* * *

The next day, Shad'ara returned to Andorhal, Commander Deathweaver eyed her as she entered the camp before resuming talking with a cloaked figure.

"I don't care if you are running short on healers; I need this one to finish her damn task!" Deathweaver snapped.

"Koltira, you may work for Sylvanas now, but as a Knight of the Ebon Blade, your obligation is to also work with the Crusade first, and by the order of the Highlord, you must release Sunbreeze into my custody!" the figure said with a smooth and elegant voice.

"Forget it, I will release her when the work she is assigned is done!" Koltira snapped.

The cloaked figure looked passed the arrogant Death Knight to rest their hidden eyes on Shad'ara,

"Sunbreeze, you better work hard and finish your tasks quickly, the Highlord wishes you back at Hearthglen…" the figure said before calling down a silver Dragonhawk, mounting the beautiful beast and flying away from the camp.

"Approach Sunbreeze!" Koltira snapped.

Shad'ara stepped forward, keeping her distance from the angered Death Knight; she kept her eyes low, not looking him in the chilling eyes that all Death Knights carried.

"The task that I have offered you yesterday had been completed by an Alliance Soldier, I have a better task for you to do. From your act of defiance the previous day, and for a final test of your mettle, you will go after the leader of the Scourge forces here in Andorhal…" Koltira explained.

"Will I get assistance? The leader is expected to be protected well and much stronger than his lieutenants," Shad'ara replied as she took a breath to calm her nerves.

"I will go in once he is distracted enough to drop his guard, he will be equally matched against you being a spell caster and not a Death Knight like me," Koltira explained.

With a sigh, Shad'ara took her staff from its holder latched to her back, moving through the outskirts of the ravaged town to where a purple light pulsed where the Scourge leader was located. He was channeling some dark energy from a sinister orb when she came upon his location,

"So the inflicted priestess is finally sent after me…" the leader said in a dark voice.

Shad'ara flinched slightly when the leader acknowledged her before gripping her staff until her knuckles turned white.

"How did you know I was here, and how do you know of my inflictions?" Shad'ara asked in a hostile tone.

The leader turned and faced her with soulless grey eyes,

"I know everything my dear, I have eyes everywhere on this plagued piece of land, and I see within ever inhabitant's soul and know their deepest darkest secrets…" the leader said with a shadowy voice.

"You may say that you know everything as a way to scare your opponents into lowering their guard, but it won't work against me!" Shad'ara hissed as she shot an arc of light from her fingertips, slicing the leader's cheek.

The leader staggered a bit from the light before unsheathing his staff, channeling the dark energy running through his veins into the black crystal.

"You will regret that you vermin!" the leader growled, sending a bolt of shadow towards Shad'ara.

She blocked the attack with her staff, feeling the shadow stir within her at the proximity of the dark spell dissipating against her staff. She shielded herself with the strength she had reserved and channeled the light into a flickering flame of light and fire. As she released the spell, she felt the pangs of the shadow growing stronger against her defense.

"FOR THE ALLIANCE!" shouted a hollow voice. Shad'ara looked quickly over her shoulder to see a human death knight with silver hair rushing towards the Scourge leader with a heavy sword raised high.

"FOR THE HORDE!" Shouted another.

Shad'ara launched the holy flame towards the leader as her eyes settled on Koltira; he dodged her attack and launched forth a tendril of shadow like the same spell Koltira used on her the day before. He was encased in shadow, feeling her breath leaving her body as the tendrils wrapped tightly around her like a snake.

"You are weak!" the leader laughed darkly before turning towards the two Death Knights, clashing his staff against their weapons.

Shad'ara gasped for breath as the shadow consumed her form, deep within two tiny lights stood in darkness; one was surrounded in light, taking the appearance of its mistress… The other glowing in the dark purple and black that formed the Shadow, mimicking its victim's appearance. The two lights fought against each other, the light trying to hold its ground against the strengthening shadow. Darkness snaked forward from the fingertips of the shadow, wrapping around the light who screamed out in pain as the Shadow sucked the life from it.

'_I finally get to snuff the life out of you, finally after twenty years!_' the shadow roared in triumph.

Like a death of a star, the light lost its form, flying outwards like a supernova before vanishing from the subconscious of Shad'ara's mind. The shadow felt stronger when the connection its victim had to the light finally broke, its form growing as it released its power from deep within.

Outside of Shad'ara's mind, her form became incased in shadow, the spell holding her becoming the source of the shadow's first meal as it became dominant. The spell dropped Shad'ara, leaving her slowly levitating to the ground, when she reached out to touch the staff, it shocked her fingers, causing the shadowy form flicker a bit before forming back into the delicate fingers of Shad'ara's hands.

"Let's cause you some pain and agony, shall we?" shadow Shad'ara said darkly, sending a tendril of shadow towards the Scourge leader. As he screeched in pain from the shadow spell burned and leeched away at his strength, lowering his guard against the Death Knights who fought him.

When the Death Knights roared out as their weapons raised high and struck the Scourge leader down, Shad'ara felt a moment of clarity within her mind, looking down to her hands and screeching in fright when she no longer felt warmed by the sun starting to peek through the clouds.

"Sunbreeze, what is the matter?" Koltira asked as he sheathed his runeblade.

Shad'ara looked to the death Knight before breaking into a run towards the untamed wilderness of the Plaguelands, ignoring the shouts and the yells of Koltira as she abandoned the ruined town of Andorhal.


	8. Trapped in Scholomance

"I think I saw you before…" said a female voice.

Hagus looked up from his Grimoire and sighed, resting his fel green eyes on a brunette she-elf; she wore robes sporting the colors of arcane, blue, purple, pink, and silver.

"I have been coming to the Sun Court for three weeks now to study my grimoire…" Hagus replied.

"Grimoire? You mean you are a warlock?" asked the elf.

Hagus nodded, and opened his grimoire once again to resume his reading,

"But, I thought I've seen you at the arcane academy…" the she-elf said once more, causing Hagus to sigh sharply as his reading was once again interrupted.

"I have only been there once, and that was to get an updated map of Azeroth," Hagus said sharply, annoyance flickering in his eyes at the she elf, making her flinch.

"Oh, forgive me then… I must be referring to someone else… pardon my intrusions," said the elf as she stepped away.

"Hagus…" He replied before the she-elf could walk to far away.

"What?" she asked as she turned to face Hagus once more.

"My name… its Hagus," he repeated.

The she-elf sighed before smiling,

"My name is Nikita…uh, Goldwind," the she-elf replied.

Hagus waved his hand to excuse Nikita as he went back to his reading, earning an annoyed huff from the female as she turned away from the unsocial male. Hagus felt indifferent about the female, rising to his feet and moving back to the inn, a felhound scampering to its cloven feet from under the bench he sat on,

"Khiikun, let's go get something to eat and drink…" Hagus muttered to his demonic companion.

The Felhound uttered a growl of approval as he followed his master, its tentacles twitching in response to the invisible waves of magic flowing through the court.

* * *

_Valdimirr looked at the sight before him, the priestess he had fallen for was now enveloped in Shadow. It all happened so fast, she was normal, then something inside her snapped, causing her form to be engulfed by Shadow, radiating in rage and negative emotions._

_ He reached out to grab her wrist, but his hand went through it like smoke, as if she were a phantom. He looked around the area they were in, the courtyard linking the Arcane Academy and the Temple of the Sun together. Sessions would be ending soon, making this area filled with students of both arcane and light. Putting them in danger if they were to come within arm's length of his Shadowed Priestess, he had to think quick before the bells tolled marking the end of the day at the two academies._

_ "Shad'ara, I know where you can find more shadow to feed upon…" Valdimirr tried._

_ The shadow turned its head slightly, looking towards the male elf intrigued at the thought of finding more shadow._

_ "But, you need to follow me to its location, only I know where it is located…" Valdimirr lied._

_ The shadow hesitated at first before moving across the shadows on the ground towards the mage. Once they were off of the grounds of the two academies, it was a little difficult for the shadow to follow him, the sun shining brightly from its noon position due to there being no shadows for the shade to move in._

_ "You can use my shadow if you must…" Valdimirr said as he walked backwards towards the shadow waiting the shadow of a tree._

_ The shadow seemed appreciative of the generous elf; she was getting some shadow to feed upon and was being escorted in his shadow._

_ They walked through the city, then into the enchanted woods surrounding it until the male elf came upon a small pond, there he turned towards a path leading past the breeder of the Hawkstriders, before turning to a circle of trees with leaves ranging from magenta to amber._

_ "Now we wait for the shadow to be at its peak…" Valdimirr said as he stood in the circle of trees, picking up a stick to sketch a quick circle before the shadow knew what he was up to._

_ When the sun peaked through the trees and hit the circle, it began to glow, snaring the shadow who screeched in rage from the elf's trickery._

_ "I'm sorry Shad'ara; it had to be done…" Valdimirr said as he dug around in a satchel, pulling out a peculiar stone._

_ Valdimirr stepped forward, holding the stone in the palm of his hand as he brought it close to the shadow Shad'ara's face. The stone reacting to the shadow, started to glow like the circle that held her,_

_ "Belore'melorn…" Valdimirr murmured._

_ The stone reacted to the words he spoke, the shadow starting to get sucked into the stone, Shad'ara slowly returning to her true self. The shadow flickered away before becoming trapped in Valdimirr's stone, Shad'ara gasping what seemed like breath, but in reality, her freedom from the Shadow's temporary dominance._

_ "Thank you, Valdimirr…" she said as she reached out to hug him._

_ "It was no problem, my Little Shadow," Valdimirr murmured into her ear as he returned the hug._

* * *

The memory lingered in Shad'ara's mind; she sat at the border of the Eastern and Western Plaguelands staring at her hands. Her form wasn't solid like it usually was when she would have shadow attacks, she was pure shadow instead.

"I'm a monster…." She said in a shadowy voice.

She pushed herself to her feet, walking into the Eastern portion of the Plaguelands, with each step, the more taint her form reacted to. Though she could only travel through the shadows the rotted trees, towering fungus, and rocks created, she eventually came upon a lake where a rotting town rested in the center. With a sigh, she stepped over the water, gliding across like a low cloud, the smell of rotting fish and other aquatic life didn't bother her as much as she had thought. The stagnant water lapped at her wispy robes of shadow as she reached the center of the lake.

"I failed you Valdimirr, I became a monster and lost your Sunstone…." Shad'ara murmured to herself as she reached the plagued island.

Decayed wooden buildings that were once the homes of innocents dotted the crumbling outer walls; the banners of the scourge still hung from the walls as well as runic fire in the braziers and torches, marking this place as the stronghold of the Scourge, Scholomance. She had heard of this place when she was younger from her father, he said the unspeakable evil happened here, the opposite of life study… The study of Necromancy, an unholy art used to reap the souls of the departed to force them into servitude of necromancers as rotting undead minions.

"The academy of shadow… where monsters make monsters, this is where I belong…" Shad'ara whispered to herself as she moved towards the higher end of town where the academy sat. In the early days before Arthas became corrupt, this was once a beautiful town of Caer Darrow, home of the well-connected Barov family. Now, only their ghosts and rotting corpses walked the tainted halls.

As she entered the evil academy of necromancy, she felt the presence of being watched, the skeletal brutes acting as guards didn't react to her as they would if she weren't a shadow, but they still watched her as she passed into the main room of the academy.

* * *

"Laerin, what are you doing here in Andorhal?" asked an alliance soldier as he noticed the High elf entering the alliance portion of the camp on horseback.

"I need yo speak with your commander, it is important…" Laerin replied.

The alliance soldier nodded and motioned for the elf to follow, bringing him towards a figure in dark armor and silver hair.

"Commander Thassarian, You have a visitor" said the Alliance soldier as he saluted the commander.

Thassarian turned and met Laerin's eyes, heaving a sigh before dismissing the soldier back to his post.

"Yes, what is it Priest?" Thassarian asked in a worn hollow voice.

Laerin dropped down from his horse, walking to the Death Knight before holding out his hand,

"I am Laerin Sunbreeze, I have a few questions for you… it is important," Laerin said nobly.

Thassarian sighed once more and took the priests hand to shake it,

"Very well, ask away… But be quick, I have very important matters to take care of," Thassarian replied.

"I would ask the Horde counterpart this, But I would be struck down before I even step foot on their side… But have you seen a priestess with black hair wandering around Andorhal?" Laerin asked.

Thassarian stroked his chin in thought, his icy eyes shifting back and forth at the sky while he went through his memories,

"Was she like you? A High elf?" Thassarian asked at first.

Laerin shook his head, feeling the weight of worry press down on his shoulders,

"I did see one priestess, but I don't know why you would be interested in a Blood elf, her kind is with the Horde…" Thassarian replied as he looked back to the high elf.

"I've already sent someone looking for her; he told me that the horde commander wouldn't release her until she finished her tasks… I worry for her, because she is my sister…" Laerin said as he felt his heart beginning to ache.

Thassarian suddenly realized how important this matter was to the elf, he once felt the pang of sorrow for his family when he realized what he had done while in the service of Arthas. He placed a gauntlet on the elf's shoulder, giving him a sad look.

"I saw your sister when I was fighting against Darkmaster Gandling… she was trapped in his shadow prison, for a few moments before dropping to the ground incased in shadow… I'm sorry lad, but she ran off after the Darkmaster was defeated…" Thassarian said with a sigh.

"Which way did she run?" Laerin said in fright.

Thassarian pointed to the east, closing his eyes when he saw the sadness in the elf's eyes,

"She ran in the direction of the Eastern Plaguelands… I'm sorry lad, but she probably isn't alive… the Eastern portion of the Plaguelands is far more dangerous than this side…" Thassarian murmured.

Laerin felt sorrow build up in his chest; he turned to the Death Knight and gave him a slight nod of thanks before turning to his horse to mount it.

* * *

Shad'ara reached the absolute middle of the dark academy, her eyes rested on a figure channeling all forms of dark energy ranging from a wispy substance, to a cloud of dark fire, and then to a form of dark lightning. She was confused at first; she remembered seeing the figure fall before she fled Andorhal… The Scourge Leader should have been dead.

"Come closer my dear, I won't bite…" said the Scourge Leader in a dark voice.

Shad'ara flinched a bit before succumbing to the leader's words, stepping forward down the stairs until she was a few feet away from him.

"How are you alive? I saw you fall in Andorhal!" Shad'ara hissed.

"Apparently you don't know much about Scourge magic my dear… That was merely a copy, living, breathing, and an exact clone of myself, I had to be there and here and one can't be in two places at once, so I improvised…" the Scourge Leader replied with a dark chuckle.

Shad'ara remained still as the leader began to step towards her, his soulless grey eyes peering through her shadowed form,

"Now, what is someone like you, a light user doing in one of the darkest places in the Eastern Kingdoms?" the leader asked.

"Even in the darkest place you find the smallest trace of light…" Shad'ara answered.

"Ah, but you are wrong… You know why you are here?" the leader asked.

Shad'ara remained silent,

"You are here because the shadow I pumped into you is a part of my dark essence; it was merely returning you to your new home… You are my project now, my protégé…" the leader said before bursting out into a loud dark laughter that echoed around the room.

"Welcome to Scholomance, I am your Headmaster, Darkmaster Gandling… I hope you enjoy your stay, I would love it if you stayed here and studied, we could use someone like you…" Gandling said as he reached out and weaved Shad'ara's shadowy hair between his fingers before stepping back and launching a spell towards her,

"Now, you are trapped here, you can never leave as long as I breathe, and you won't be able to harm me either!" the Darkmaster said as he resumed channeling the dark energy, Shad'ara left where she stood like a statue of pure shadow.

* * *

This was inspired by the entire week my Boyfriend and I spent doing Scholomance for hours on end while coming up with a good backstory for our characters XD


	9. The Void Seer

Three weeks she was kept there, imprisoned against her will, doing the deeds of the madman. For three weeks she wished to see the sun, but the dark academy kept it out, and the darkness in. When the headmaster was busy with something, he would send her to oversee the classes at the academy. The only thing she was grateful for was the fact Gandling gave her solid form back, she was no longer draped in shadow, but she had it curling around her like the chains the surrounded the liches throughout Scholomance.

To her, they truly were like chains, they are what kept her inside Scholomance, if she ever tried to cross the threshold that lead to the entrance, the shadows surrounding her would pull her back into the academy and block her exit. What she hated the most was when she was forced to watch adventurers or members of the crusade be tortured and killed right in front of her, and being powerless to save them.

She was a slave from not only her own curse, but to the madman who caused her connection to the light to diminish forever. But it was also her fault; she didn't pay attention to the corruption around her caused by the Scourge while she was around her.

* * *

Laerin took a deep breath before passing the threshold between the Western Plaguelands and Tirisfal Glades. He slipped on a silver ring encrusted with smooth sparkling violet gems as he passed the Horde checkpoint, turning his Quel'Dorei eyes into those of a Sin'Dorei. He walked over passed the Flight-master towards a mage standing by a few shimmering portals, examining everything around him through the corners of his eyes.

"Excuse me, but would you be willing to transport me to Silvermoon? My mount got spooked and ran off with all of my supplies…" Laerin lied.

The mage turned to face Laerin, in the light of the glades, red hair shined and accented her lightly tanned skin and her bright Sin'Dorei eyes.

"That's terrible! I would be willing to help a brother Sin'Dorei in need!"Said the mage as she picked up a Rune from an array of barrels behind her.

Laerin smiled lightly as the mage began casting the portal spell; he felt bad for tricking the poor elf, but He had to get to Silvermoon in this mode of transportation rather than taking to hour journey to the Undercity and taking the Orb of Translocation.

"Here you are, I wish you luck in regaining your supplies," said the mage.

Laerin nodded and looked to the portal before gulping slightly, as he stepped forward; he dropped a silver coin onto the barrel next to the mage, fading into the portal before she could mention anything about his charity.

* * *

The Arcane Academy replaced the surrounding tree of the Glade, and the sweet scent of Jasmine filled his senses rather than the stagnant and rotting stench the glades carried. It was good to be in a safe spot, free of the impending attack of the rotting corpses of the remaining Scourge forces in the Plaguelands. But he wasn't done yet, he had to find his family, all he needed was to travel to wherever the Flight-master was located and buy passage to the family home.

"The Flight-master should be located on a roost somewhere near the front gate…" Laerin muttered to himself as he exited the academy and into the Sun court.

Not paying attention, he bumped into someone who swore loudly in a guttural language, earning Laerin's attention. He studied the dark robes, menacing spiked shoulder pieces and the black horns protruding from the figure's forehead.

"I am so sorry sir; I was deep in thought and wasn't paying attention to my surroundings!' Laerin said when he caught the figure's appearance.

"Tsk, Obviously…." Growled the figure as he dusted and straightened his robes, an imp crawling from behind his back to perch itself neatly onto the shoulder spikes gazing at the lesser elf before its master.

"Look, I'm sorry. But people make mistakes and clearly I made one that made you aggravated, but we can fix that," Laerin said calmly.

"And how do you plan to do that, I lost my train of thought and concentration!" snapped the elf.

Laerin sighed and held out his hand,

"Like this, my name is Laerin Sunbreeze…" He replied.

The elf reluctantly took Laerin's hand to shake it, waiting a few short seconds before clearing his throat,

"Uh, Hagus… I guess…" Answered the elf.

Laerin sighed gently as his nerves began to calm down, as he was about to walk away from Hagus to continue his journey to the family home, Hagus caught hold of his forearm.

"I knew you looked familiar!" Hagus said when he got a better look at Laerin's features "You are a spitting image of Shad'ara!" Hagus exclaimed.

Laerin felt awkward in front of this elf, first they were butting heads over bumping into each other, and then they were suddenly talking about his missing sister.

"Uhm… yeah, I would think so, I am her brother…. How would you know her?" Laerin said in a cautious tone.

"We are well acquainted… We met in Outland and then again here in the city…" Hagus replied in a much calmer tone "she never said anything about having a brother…" Hagus added.

Laerin wrenched himself free from Hagus's death-like grip and dusted off his sleeve,

"Well apparently you aren't acquainted enough to know that we are twins, and that she is suffering from a curse that has put her in danger!" Laerin growled unintentionally, walking passed Hagus with his face fixed slightly upwards towards the sky.

"Shad'ara's in danger!?" Hagus said as he turned to face Laerin once more, worry drenched in his voice.

Laerin sighed in defeat and motioned for Hagus to follow him,

"She was sent to the Plaguelands to work with the Crusade to mend her connection to the light, we argued here and there and then I sent her to deliver some potions and salves to a small camp near Andorhal…" Laerin explained.

"Mend her connection to the…light? Andorhal…?" Hagus asked in confusion.

"But the bloody dwarf in charge of the camp sent her to the wretched ravage city that is constantly in battle between the horde and the alliance against each other and the Scourge in order for her to _'prove her worth'_ unknowing he had sent her to her doom…" Laerin explained once more.

Hagus felt cold from the guilt and worry settling into his chest as Laerin continued his story, He wanted to stop the sibling from continuing, but He wanted to know why Shad'ara was in danger.

"Andorhal is a constant battleground, tainted by the scourge and Sylvanas's forces wanting to keep it as it is; there is no influence of the Crusade there, no light… Only taint….Slowly, the taint affected her, making her weak and allowing the darkness to overwhelm her, breaking her connection to the light forever…" Laerin added.

"I know that seems bad, but how is she in any danger?" Hagus asked carefully.

Laerin sighed and looked to the ring on his finger before looking to Hagus,

"She is being held against her will in Scholomance, the command center of the Scourge in the Plaguelands, I have been unable to reach out to her, the shadow is too overwhelming and the security is too strict for me to send any in… I need some help…" Laerin replied.

All the color in Hagus's face drained, it was like the moment he guessed where Shad'ara was going… He felt everything come to a stop around him, all the color drain from the world as Laerin started walking towards Murder Row.

"I-I've foreseen this happen…" Hagus murmured.

Laerin paused and gazed over his shoulder,

"Excuse me…?" Laerin asked.

Hagus sighed in defeat and summoned a shadow demon, his imp grumbling as he was sent back into the realm with Hagus's other demons.

"I will show you… This is my Voidwalker, Thangorg…" Hagus answered as his eyes began to turn purple and shadow radiating from his palms.

The Voidwalker stood straight as an orb of Shadow radiated between its claws, small images forming within before becoming clear, but only for Hagus.

'_Thal Kiel…Shaza…Sach…Kigon…_' Hagus murmured in demonic.

"What?" Laerin asked as he eyed Hagus suspiciously,

"Your soul is unseen by the void, untouched by shadow, you need to surrender your heart in order to see into the vision…" Hagus explained in Thalassian.

Laerin sighed before sitting on the ivory cobblestones and crossing his legs, placing the back of his hands on his knees as if he were about to meditate. He felt the coldness of shadow caress his soul, shivering at the way to touched it… He finally understood how Shad'ara felt when it came to her shadow.

When he opened his eyes, they became violet like Hagus's and the blurred images inside the shadowy orb became clearer, seeing Shad'ara walking through the Plaguelands as a shadow and crossing Darrowmere Lake to Scholomance. The vision changed once more to a room where it showed Hagus looking into his Voidwalker like he is now, inside the vision, Hagus began to pace before finally fading, Laerin's eyes turning back to his disguised Quel'Dorei eyes and the cold embrace of Shadow burning away from his soul.

Laerin got to his feet and backed away from Hagus who was standing still and calm next to his shadowy demon,

"What are you?" Laerin asked.

"I am a Void Seer… I can see visions of the Void from time to time, but quiet recently, they have been of your sister… I think the void is telling me that we were meant to meet… We are connected…" Hagus replied in a low voice before dismissing his demon.

"You better not be lying!" Laerin growled.

Hagus shook his head before sighing,

"You saw it yourself; let the truth sink in for a bit… Come find me at the Inn located in the Royal Exchange if you would like more answers…" Hagus said as he began to walk away, leaving Laerin in the middle of the court.


	10. Off to Scholomance part 1

_I am sorry for the wait, my boyfriend got me Pandaria for christmas and i've been playing that XD I still need to get Sallaria, my DK, and my hunter to 90... the rest will take a bit. Anyway I am babbling, enjoy this chapter_

* * *

"Nikita, what's wrong?" asked a silken voice.

The brunette elf stopped, and looked to the voice's owner, resting her eyes on her childhood friend, a grim look on her face as she held out a piece of elegant parchment between her thin fingers.

"I got this letter in stating that my father has perished in the fight against the Hammer, I have to go find my mother and live with her now… I'm not yet old enough to live alone and she asked for me via letter…" Nikita answered.

"So, you are leaving the academy to go live with her? You only started learning your advanced training, if you leave now, all your progress will be lost and you will have to start at as an apprentice if you return!" her friend protested.

"Garion, my mother's word is law, sure my father may have taken me here to the capital to study, but my mother cared for me in my younger years, I have no choice when she asks for me…" Nikita answered.

Garion sighed at his friend's response before pulling her into a friendly hug, patting her back before finally letting go,

"If I can't stop you from leaving, then I have only one thing to say is to be safe on your way to your mother's home, the roads are dangerous these days with the Twilight's Hammer and the constant battles going on between them and the heroes…" Garion said in a calm whisper.

"I will be fine, I am skilled in the use of arcane, and I can bend the planes to my will if it ever comes to that…" Nikita replied before continuing to leave the academy.

* * *

Laerin walked through the streets of Silvermoon as he thought about what had transpired with the strange elf that called himself Hagus. He wondered why his sister would hang out with a strange elf like him, a warlock nonetheless. But he remembered that his very cousin was a warlock and he couldn't be so judgmental of the pathway of demons. As he decided that he'd seen enough of the city, Laerin made his way back to the Court of the Sun to finish his thinking on whether he should trust Hagus or not.

As he entered the Court, his disguised Quel'Dorei eyes settled on a small form of a brunette she-elf, her head hanging low as she read from a piece of parchment, not paying attention to where she was going. She bumped into an enchanted planter, and fell backwards, her head resting on the cobblestone and dazed.

Laerin rushed over to her, helping her sit up while murmuring a soft healing spell to chase away the pain from her hitting her head. The she-elf hissed in pain before it vanished, her eyes looking at Laerin before realizing what had happened.

"I'm so sorry, I bet I looked like a fool!" she said quickly, placing a hand on her forehead in embarrassment.

"It is fine, you were just away in your own mind, we all do that sometimes and run into people or things,' Laerin said gently.

The she-elf smiled and looked to her side, resting her eyes on the parchment she was reading before her little tumble, the light of her face turning dark and gloomy,

"I just haven't been myself since I found that my father had perished…. Almost every man I see looks like him… even you kind sir," the she-elf confessed as she picked up the parchment and held it close.

"Your heart is held by grief, it is only natural to see the face of a loved one that has passed," Laerin said calmly.

"I guess you are right… I just hope to put away my grief and be able to look forward in life, makin my father proud, even in death. Oh, uh… my name is Nikita by the way…" the she-elf replied as she rose to her feet, dusting off her robes.

"I'm Laerin," he replied "but, I am afraid I must cut this short, I have to go meet someone…" Laerin added as he turned towards the dark alleyway connecting the Court and the main part of the city.

* * *

Shad'ara felt satisfied that she was able to force her will over the shadow that held her mind. In the early hours of morning, she managed to get to the front of the dreaded school of Necromancy and put an end to Gandling's skeletal brutes guarding the entrance into the main hall. She could smell freedom; all she had to do was step through the stone archway and walk up the stairs, through the wooden door and out into the Plaguelands.

A dark laughter filled to room as she placed a foot through the archway, causing her to pause, she turned to gaze over her shoulder to see the Darkmaster in ethereal form with the guards she had slain just moments ago, standing behind him with purple flames burning from their eyes.

"Did you forget girl? I am the Darkmaster! I command the undead within these halls and I see what they see! Did you think you could escape so easily?" the Darkmaster teased as shadow enveloped his hand.

"My will is strong; you will never break it to make me bow to your will!" Shad'ara hissed.

"Your soul is mine!" Gandling howled as his form began to become more solid, shadow leaping out from his hand to wrap around her waist and pull her closer.

"Let me go!" Shad'ara howled.

The Darkmaster laughed once more, summoning more shadow before having his skeletal brutes grab each of her arms. Pulling her back towards the gate to the main hall where Gandling now looked over her fellow students and colleagues who had awoken and began their studies for the day.

"I think it's time I use you to teach a lesson…" he chuckled darkly "School is now in session!" Gandling said with triumph, motioning for his skeletal brutes to release Shad'ara before returning back to their posts.

Gandling had Shad'ara's forearm in a death like grip as he pulled her down the stairs to the center of the room where a Lich taught about her kind and phylacteries. He ushered them away and left Shad'ara in the center, using a binding spell to keep her in place.

Shad'ara struggled against her bindings, knowing she was just about to have more shadow injected into her in an attempt to break the last line of her will. Gandling now stood where the lich once was, channeling shadow to his finger tips until a gem appeared in his palm. Shad'ara knew what it was, he was planning to suck out her soul with this gem… making her his puppet.

"I can feel your will breaking! Your soul burning so brightly," Gandling said as Shad'ara felt the binding spell grip at her, feeling herself become colder as her soul became trapped within the dark gem.

Finally she gasped as the last of her soul left her body, leaving an empty husk standing before the Darkmaster. Through her vision, she saw the dark violet world from within the gem before it was placed in Gandling's pocket.

"Why let a perfectly good body go to waste?" she heard Gandling say from within her prison.

After several agonizing minutes passed, she heard the feint sound of footsteps,

"Your new name will be Shadow Raven, a being full of shadow, soulless, cold, dark, and moldable… You will be the punisher of Scholomance…" Gandling said to what Shad'ara guessed as her body.

Shad'ara pulled herself into a fetal position as best as she could within her crystalline prison, occasionally she would feel Gandling tap the pocket her prison was in; then hear his muffled dark laughter.

* * *

"I'm glad you finally came to your senses about trusting me, because there is something dire!" Hagus said as he walked to his room with Laerin following behind.

"What is wrong?" Laerin asked as he struggled to keep up with the Void Seer.

Hagus paused and looked to Laerin, his face grim,

"I received another Void Vision; Shad'ara is in deeper trouble than before…" Hagus replied as he pushed open the solid oak door of his rented room.

"What's happened then?" Laerin asked as he leaned against the wall

"That's the problem…. I don't know, I can't locate her within Scholomance, she was there one minute, then gone… I can only sense a feint portion of her…" Hagus replied as he started stuffing things into a satchel.

"What do you suppose to do then?" Laerin asked as he crossed his arms across his chest.

Hagus picked up his grimoire and tucked it gently into his satchel before looking to Laerin,

"Well… go help her for one thing…" Hagus replied "but I will need some help in case things go awry," Hagus added once more, placing a cloak around his shoulders.

Laerin thought for a moment, holding his chin as he thought about who could help.

"Well, I will be there to keep things in order with the light, how about a mage who can have us teleport in case things take a turn for the worse…" Laerin offered.

"That will do us some good, but we need someone else, three against the academy of Necromancy isn't what I call fun," Hagus replied.

"I know who just to bring, you go to the academy and go find us a mage willing to go to Scholomance, and I will find us the other…" Laerin said as he pushed himself away from the wall.

Hagus nodded and waited for Laerin to walk out of the room before following suit, checking over the room to make sure he didn't leave anything behind before locking it. He stopped at the innkeeper and handed her the key and a fat pouch of gold to pay for his stay before exiting out into Murder Row.

* * *

Laerin walked through the Farstriders' Square, scanning the area for the building where the Blood Knights held their order. When he saw a Blood Elf dressed in red and black armor walking out of a building where violet curtains hung, he knew he found the Blood Knight's headquarters. He walked over to the building, earning sideways glances at the two Silvermoon guards who stood vigilant on either side of the doorway.

"You there, priest, what is your business within the Blood Knight's Sanctum?" asked a white haired elder knight.

Laerin looked up to the knight and kept a even face,

"I am looking for Knight Sunbreeze, he is required to help me and some companions out in the Plaguelands," Laerin replied with a noble voice.

The elder knight bowed his head slightly before motioning Laerin to follow; bringing him to a back room where the knight Laerin was searching for was sitting at desk writing quickly across some parchment, only stopping to dip his quill in some ink.

"Champion Bachi, I am sorry I do not have your reports done…" said the knight as he noticed the elder knight enter the room.

"Knight Sunbreeze, I am not here for the reports, this priest is here to take you to the Plaguelands," Bachi replied.

The knight sighed in relief and placed his quill in his jar of ink, he stacked the pieces of parchment together before standing, looking at the champion and the visitor.

"Here is what I have Champion, but before I leave I must say goodbye to Anariah, do you know where she is?" the knight asked.

Champion Bachi accepted the reports from the knight and pointed in the direction of Farstriders' Square.

"She is either out in the square playing or at the temple…" Bachi said before walking out of the room, his plate boots tapping against the stone floor.

The knight looked to the visitor once more and smiled,

"I hardly recognized you Laerin with your glamour," the knight said with a smile.

"Ximka, we don't have very much time, gather your things and say goodbye to Anariah, because we must leave!" Laerin said as he handed Ximka a satchel to carry some things in.

Ximka nodded and took the satchel from his cousin, placing a golden amulet with the phoenix symbol of Silvermoon around his neck, the strong aura of light radiating off it made Laerin's nerves twitch in response to the enchantment.

Ximka grabbed a book with its spine plated in gold where a chain hung from it, before picking up a shield housing the symbol of the Blood Knights and a sword ranging in the colors of a sunset with a bright yellow aura around it.

"I'm ready; let's go find Anariah before we depart…" Ximka replied.

* * *

Hagus waited by the Arcane Academy's entrance with an ebony haired elf in red robes next to him, reading through a tome to pass the time. As Ximka and Laerin approached, a young elven girl with red-gold hair came running out of the academy with a smile on her face.

"An'da!" she exclaimed as she jumped into Ximka's arms, Ximka, who was kneeling then picked up his daughter and held her tight, stroking her hair before looking her in the face,

"Daddy has to go on an adventure for a little bit, in the mean time I need you to stay at the Blood Knight headquarters and listen to the elder knights until I return. Please, do not leave the headquarters, I want you to remain safe for me Anariah," Ximka murmured to his daughter.

Anariah smiled and nodded, her green eyes shining in happiness, though hiding the sadness of her father leaving, When she was placed on the ground once more, her hair was ruffled by Ximka before she ran off in the direction Ximka and Laerin came.

"Alright, now I am truly ready" Ximka said as he watched his daughter disappear behind the corner that lead to the farstriders' Square.

Hagus pushed himself away from the wall, the ebony haired elf following,

"This is the only mage willing to go, his name is Sheor'ath Arcanewhisper, He will port us to the Undercity and follow us to Scholomance," Hagus announced.

Laerin nodded and turned to Ximka,

"This is my cousin Ximka, he is a Blood Knight of Silvermoon and will be helping us in Scholomance against the necromancers," Laerin replied.

Hugs acknowledged the silver-haired elf and walked over to a portal that Sheor'ath freshly conjured,

"Here's for Shad'ara," Laerin said as he stepped into the portal, Hagus following afterward along with Ximka, then Sheor'ath before the portal closed behind him.


	11. Off to Scholomance Part 2

Hello again, sorry for the wait,. I recently broke up with my boyfriend and had to go over some ideas on my own, I had scrapped so much because I needed his oppinion and he's being an ass about it. Anyway enjoy, and don't forget to check out the Facebook page for this story, just search for Shadow of the night: The Demon Within on Facebook and there you can learn about updates, see artwork i've done or others have done, and see the characters with in game screenshots.

* * *

"Mr. Gerald, report to the headmaster at once!" snapped an undead instructor.

A male human snapped upward, his nap interrupted by the teacher, fear evident in his eyes.

"No please professor Slate, I won't fall asleep again!" pleaded the human.

"This is the fifth time this week, now go!" commanded the professor.

With a sigh to calm his nerves, the human rose from his seat and moved towards the door leading out of the room. It connected to the headmaster's office where he channeled magic into a dark black orb. Beside him was a masked female that the student knew as the punisher, the Headmaster's new faculty member.

"Hello again Mr. Gerald, fall asleep in class again?" Gandling asked.

The Human nodded, his face white as a ghost as he saw shadow flicker between the Punisher's fingers.

"You know what needs to be done, follow Shadow Raven if you please…" Gandling said once more.

Shadow stepped forward and gripped the human by the forearm, dragging him back towards one of Gandling's many failed experiment rooms,

"Only, you won't be returning to class…" Gandling chuckled darkly.

"No!" screeched the human before the portcullis closed.

* * *

"How are we suppose to get across the lake to Scholomance!?" Hagus exclaimed.

Laerin and Ximka sighed in unison at the warlock, causing him to turn around and glare at them; they had stopped for a break to allow their mounts to rest and to go over their strategies of what to do once inside.

"We walk around, I can see a bridge on the other side connecting to the island," Sheor'ath murmured.

Laerin and Ximka agreed and ushered the Warlock to his mount so they can start moving once more, engaging in idle chatter while they made the long trek around the lake.

"Say, Ximka…" Hagus said, earning the paladin's attention "I didn't want to say anything, but it has been bothering me…" he added.

"What has?" Ximka asked, turning his gaze forward while keeping his attention to the warlock.

"Your daughter, is she a half-breed?" Hagus asked in a blunt voice.

Ximka sighed a little and slowed his mount a stop, he gestured for Laerin and Sheor'ath to keep going while he spoke with Hagus.

"Does that bother you that I have a half-breed for a daughter?" Ximka asked in a sharp tone.

Hagus shook his head, "I didn't mean it in a bad way…" Hagus tried.

"Its fine I guess, I mean she looks more like her mother than an elf. If you want to know, she was a human," Ximka replied.

"That must make it hard to see her then, I mean don't daughters need a mother figure around to teach them?" Hagus stated.

"She doesn't have a mother anymore, an old friend of hers got jealous that she was carrying my child and attacked her, she died after birth from a poison residue on his blades…" Ximka answered, his face going dark at the painful memory.

"I am sorry…" Hagus murmured.

"Once again, it is fine. But I didn't come to dwell on my past, I came to help family, and we should keep moving," Ximka said as he snapped the reins of his mount.

* * *

Gandling moved through his study, examining the cells that surrounded his special sanctum as if he were looking for something. As he reached the sixth cell, his soulless eyes rested on a feminine figure draped in shadow, ravens fluttering around her.

"There you are," he said as he entered the cell, noticing the ex-student sent to him not two-hours before sitting in the corner mumbling incoherent speech, eyes empty and deep lacerations along his bare chest and arms.

"Darkmaster?" Shadow asked, turning her attention to him.

"I need you to greet our gests that will be here within an hour, don't engage them, lead them here so I can use them in my experiments," Gandling said as he tossed a staff at the shadowy figure.

"It will be done master, Shall I warn the faculty to not engage them?" shadow asked as she caught the staff.

"I already informed them, though I may lend you some of my failed experiments to make them weak before you lure them here," Gandling replied before turning away.

Shadow nodded and dispersed into the shadows around the room, using them to travel to the entrance of the academy.

* * *

"I would be careful if I were you," said a hollow feminine voice.

Laerin and the others stopped and turned to locate the owner of the voice, and there she was, leaning casually against the crumbling stone wall of the dark academy, Silvery hair pulled into a tight tail, blazing icy blue eyes, dark armor with unholy runes etched upon a runeblade draped across her back.

"Why do you say that?" Hagus asked.

The Death Knight smiled slightly before pushing herself from the wall, she wore a tabard sporting the symbol of the Ebon Blade, allowing Laerin and Ximka to relax at her presence.

"Many people go in there either for treasure or to stop the forces within and never return. So I give this warning to be on your guard so you don't end up a thrall of the Darkmaster or his dreaded faculty of the academy," the Death Knight explained.

"We thank you for the advice fellow knight, but may we ask why you are here?" Ximka replied.

The Death Knight sighed slightly,

"I was at Andorhal for a while and found myself out of work after my commanding officer got taken away by the Banshee Queen. I decided to linger in the Plaguelands, picking up a few jobs here and there before settling here to warn adventurers of danger," the Death Knight explained once more.

Laerin then got an idea, he began digging into his satchel as Ximka conversed with the Death Knight, after finding what he was searching for, and he turned his attention back to the knight and earned her attention.

"If you are looking for a job, maybe we can be of service," Laerin said holding out a medium sized sack of gold.

The death Knight accepted the gold and held it as if she was weighing it,

"What would you have me do?" she asked, tucking the pouch of gold into her breastplate.

Laerin gestured for her to come closer, feeling the presence of being watched,

"I came here with my companions to free my sister of the grasp of whatever is keeping her here. I think it would be wise to have someone who commands the undead here in case we run into trouble," Laerin explained.

The Death Knight smiled and nodded, moving her hand to her side as it became enveloped in tendrils of shadow. The ground by her feet cracked open a little as a skeletal hand reached up from the ground, pulling a corpse with it.

"If this gets back at the Scourge, then so be it," the death knight said after her undead minion finished rising "oh, you may call me Pla- uhm… Elren," the death Knight added.

Laerin raised his brow slightly before turning towards the entrance of the academy, looking to his companions before moving forward, muttering prayers to protect him and his party.

* * *

Something didn't feel right to Laerin, there were no skeletal guards protecting the second gate that lead into the main room of the academy, no sounds of chanting from the eager students of forbidden magic either.

"Hmmm… There could be a chance they know you are here," Elren said as she examined the room.

"I agree with Miss. Elren, there could be a trap," Sheor'ath said as he channeled arcane energy through his veins to scary the area.

Laerin sighed in defeat, he didn't like how this was going, and surely their presence on the Island the minute they set foot onto the plagued soil alerted the Darkmaster or the undead guardians protecting it, most likely causing more potential danger to them.

"Who cares if they know we're here?" Hagus exclaimed "let them cower behind their traps, we will show them what it means truly means to fear someone!" he exclaimed once more.

Laerin sighed, stepping forward just enough to place his hand on the rusty Iron Gate to push it open, earning a loud moan from the old hinges in return, making him flinch. He could have sworn he saw a shadow dart across the room below to another set of shadows, but he passed it on as being paranoid.

The group moved forward, the room was slightly colder and had a blue hue from the runic fires burning in the chandeliers hanging above. Elren moved to the center and knelt down; studying the ground like a ranger would in the forest.

"A Lich was here, its essence absorbed into the ground where a phylactery could have been," Elren noted as she stood.

She moved forward a few steps and stood facing the group in the center of the room; she closed her eyes slightly and took a deep breath. The runes on her blade turned blue and the metal became frosted over, when she opened her eyes, they resembled the runic flames overhead.

"A lich can see anything hidden, it may come in while we move through Scholomance," Elren said before examining the room.

Just so, her eyes settled on a figure in the shadows, summoning the dark energy of death and decay to her fingertips, Elren sent a beam of the energy forward, grabbing the figure by the waist causing it to be yanked forward towards the center of the room.

"A spy for the Darkmaster?" Elren said in a mocking voice, her runeblade unsheathed and at the ready.

"Pitiful death knight, your abilities are unmatched against the Darkmaster, he commands all forms of undead, including Death Knights!" hissed the shadowy figure.

"No, it couldn't be…" Laerin exclaimed "Shad'ara!?" he exclaimed again.

The shadowy figure looked to Laerin and smiled darkly, unleashing a tendril of shadow resembling a lance before dispersing once more into a cloud of shadow, dark laughter echoing around the room as she moved deeper into the Academy.

"We must be careful, she wants us to follow her," Sheor'ath stated as he began to walk forward.

Laerin felt his heart shatter; his own flesh and blood had become a puppet of the very force he was fighting against. He clasped his fists tight until his knuckles cracked and turned white before rushing forward, holy fire blazing off of him like a beacon in a storm.

"Hey, Sheor'ath just said to be careful Laerin!" Ximka exclaimed running after his cousin.

Elren looked to the remaining companions before gesturing them to follow after the two light users. They passed through several vacant rooms filled with tattered tomes, rotting corpses brought in from battlefields, and bones picked clean by carrion insects and birds. They fought a few monstrosities that seemed to pop out of nowhere from the shadows before feeling it safe to keep moving.

They stopped in a room filled with lab tables set in a row, books lay open to the same page, explaining how to make a deadly poison from herbs mostly used to make health poultices. Laerin looked ahead to see a long corridor leading to a room, dark laughter emitted from it, he knew that was where they were being lead to.

His heart was fluttering with rage and anticipation, his body warm from the holy fire that was his soul burning within. He looked to his companions and bowed his head before running down the hall, earning another sigh from Ximka who chased after him, muttering that he will one day be killed if he kept doing that.

Their prize waited for them in the center of the room. Sitting across from them on the stone banister was Shad'ara, ravens made of shadow circling around her while the Darkmaster channeled darkness from an orb. He paused and looked to the newcomers before looking up at Shad'ara.

"My dear, it appears we have visitors…" Gandling said before breaking off into a dark chuckle "Are they friends of ours? This one in the front seems to know you…" Gandling added.

"I do not know these visitors Darkmaster, nor do I know what they want… they keep calling me Shad'ara, but I don't know of that name…." Shad'ara said in a voice best fitted for someone under complete mind dominance.

"Shad'ara please, you mustn't do this, remember the light, remember how it saved you from madness and death!" Laerin exclaimed in a pained tone, he was close to falling to his knees to beg "please, come home," he added, resisting the urge to beg.

Gandling turned to Shad'ara,

"It appears they want to take you from here, shall we show them what happens when you steal from the Headmaster?" Gandling said as he dismissed the orb he was drawing power from, flames enshrouding his hands as he began to levitate in the air.

"Of course Darkmaster, the Shadows will consume their souls!" Shad'ara said as she leapt from her perch, summoning her ravens to fly forward and attack Laerin and the others.

Elren covered the group in an anti-magic shield before calling upon the unholy energies that ran through her veins. Ximka raised his shield before sending forth some light to cover the ground, burning away the shadows enveloping Shad'ara.

"Not so fast Death Knight," Gandling said as he turned his attention to Elren, sending forth some dark magic in an attempt to control the Death Knight.

"Honestly Gandling, I fought against the Lich King!" Elren teased as she brushed away the shadow magic "Your attacks are like getting his by a child" Elren added, earning a growl from the Darkmaster.

"You wretch!" Gandling howled in rage, lowering himself to the ground to engage the Death Knight "I will have your will and you will turn your rune blade onto your companions, giving me more corpses to use in my special lessons!" Gandling exclaimed.

The battle raged on, Elren against the Darkmaster, Ximka and Laerin using their powers over the light to burn away the shadows and Hagus calling upon the powers of demons to sap Shad'ara and the Dark master's strength. Sheor'ath helped as best as he could; trying his best to keep away from the missed attacks the Darkmaster and Shad'ara were firing. When their mana reserves were exhausted, Gandling and Shad'ara resulted to using their staves to fight, they were much weaver than their spells, but they wanted to smite their foes. Sheor'ath smiled to himself, summoning up what little knowledge he had over ice magic to freeze the Darkmaster to the ground, allowing the Death Knight to strike him down or wound him severely.

"What!?" Gandling exclaimed as he found that his limbs were frozen, his staff sliced in half from Elren's runeblade.

She grabbed Gandling by the collar, tightening her grip as she slammed him against the wall,

"You are powerless Gandling, now do us all a favor and die!" Elren said as she drove her Runeblade into Gandling's abdomen, slicing her blade across to make him die much quicker before letting him crumble to the ground.

A violet crystal rolled from his sleeve, becoming in black blood, but still glowing brightly, Elren knelt down to examine it, sensing a presence within. She picked it up and rose to her feet; Laerin was holding a limp Shad'ara in his arms, shadows encasing her body, but not as much as before.

"I think this belongs to you, Shad'ara…' Elren murmured as she broke open the gem on the edge of her runeblade, allowing a ghostly essence to pour from within the gem and into Shad'ara's chest.

A few moments went by and just as Laerin might have thought his sister was gone, she coughed and fluttered her eye lids, looking her brother in the face.

"So much horror…" she murmured in a scratchy voice.

Laerin caressed his sister's cheek, feeling guilty that she could never walk the path of light again.

"I am sorry Shad'ara, had I known your condition, I would of spread the word across the camps to take caution…" Laerin murmured.

"It is fine Laerin, I guess I will just have to embrace my new life, I will find a teacher in the Undercity willing to teach me the art of shadow magic and stay a shadow priest…" Shad'ara replied back.

"There is another way…" Hagus said, earning the attention of the weakened shadow priestess,

"What are _you_ doing here!?" she exclaimed.

Laerin calmed his sister, "He helped me find you Shad'ara…" Laerin explained before looking to Hagus for him to continue.

"I could make her a warlock, using the shadow weaved into her being to convert her to the path of demons…" Hagus added.

"That's a wonderful idea Hagus!" Laerin exclaimed, only Shad'ara didn't take too kindly from it, she shot upwards with rage in her eyes.

"Never in my life will I become a warlock by someone like him1" Shad'ara hissed "he is the reason why my hold over the light became so weakened that I had to come to the Plaguelands!" she hissed once more.

"She speaks the truth…" Hagus said in a low voice.

Laerin rose to his feet, clearly pissed at the warlock "you never told me that!" Laerin growled as he grabbed Hagus by the front of his robes.

Ximka and Sheor'ath moved forward to pull them apart, keeping from any more blood from being shed.

"Leave and never come back!" Laerin hissed "You aren't welcome near my family you wretch!" he hissed once more.

Hagus shot a rude gesture to Laerin before turning to Sheor'ath,

"Make me a portal to Shattrath City!" Hagus growled.

Sheor'ath didn't waste any time, the portal appeared and Hagus entered, muttering something in demonic before Sheor'ath closed the portal.

Laerin turned to Shad'ara and helped her rise to her feet,

"Are you still going to become a shadow Priest?" Laerin asked in a sorrowful voice.

Shad'ara shook her head,

"No, I will become a warlock, just I want to learn the proper way and not be imbued with demonic energy…" Shad'ara replied.

"Then we should return to Silvermoon then…" Ximka said as he moved to the other side of Shad'ara to help her move.

Sheor'ath opened a portal to Silvermoon, when everyone but Elren had entered; he paused and eyed the Death knight,

"I have my own transportation out, thank you…" she said before Sheor'ath entered the portal.

* * *

After Shad'ara and everyone had their wounds treated properly, Ximka bid his cousins farewell before leaving to return to his daughter and duties as a Blood Knight. Laerin made sure his glamour as a blood elf was intact before exiting out into the royal quarter, guiding his sister towards her home to rest. He made plans to stay with her until she felt ready enough to be brought to the Sanctum to become a warlock.


	12. To Become a Warlock

I was so happy to type this out, this was in my head for WEEKS before I was able to finish chapter 11. Enjoy the newest chapter

* * *

Two weeks had passed since Scholomance. Shad'ara felt it was time to go to the Sanctum to start her training as a Warlock. She dressed in a simple robe, pulling her ebony hair into an elaborate style before feeling ready to leave her home. Guilt ran through her body as she passed Valdimirr's grave, but she didn't want to face him as a shadow dweller.

The walk to the Sanctum was longer than she expected, but she was just feeling nervous over the choice she was making. She had lost track of time she was imprisoned in the soul stone and didn't know if the person she was hoping for was there. Her worries were soothed when she saw a familiar figure with golden hair pulled into a loose tail, his back facing her while he taught a few acolytes.

"Just the person I was looking for," Shad'ara said in an even voice, being careful not to startle him.

The figure turned to face Shad'ara, his eyes going wide when he saw who it was. He dismissed his acolytes to finish studying as he walked over to Shad'ara,

"I heard you had returned from the Plaguelands, but didn't expect to see you, like this…" he said once he reached her "What brings you to the Sanctum today?" he asked.

"I was wondering if you could convert me to a Warlock, I want to embrace the path of demons…" Shad'ara replied "Is it possible Lythnar?"

Lythnar thought a moment, stroking his chin with a black gloved hand,

"Yes, I'd say it is possible, I mean I became a warlock by mistake if you remember…" Lythnar replied "it is just the thought of someone willingly turning to the path of demons is best answered by Sallaria…" Lythnar added.

Shad'ara nodded, looking to her fingernails as Lythnar moved to one of the other master warlocks.

"You're leaving again!?" snapped another Warlock.

"I have every right to, I am no acolyte asking for tea and cookies, I am a Master Warlock!" Lythnar argued back.

"Easy Lur'kai, Lythnar is a grown man, plus you are probably upset you didn't get chosen to be put in charge while Lythnar is away on his errand…" teased the Warlock Lythnar was speaking to before this Lur'kai intervened.

Lythnar sighed and placed his hand on the other Warlock's shoulder, murmuring something in demonic before moving back over to Shad'ara. He rolled his eyes as they exited from sight of Lur'kai and the other warlock.

"Honestly, I don't know how she kept these Warlocks under control; they act like a couple of buffoons most of the time…" Lythnar said with a sigh.

"Sallaria did teach acolytes before she was recognized as the head Warlock of the Sanctum…" Shad'ara noted.

"True, but things have been hectic since she left for maternity leave. Lur'kai is showing more of his cruelty to his acolytes, Laeriel keeps having complaints about her favoring the male acolytes filed on her, and almost all of the acolytes over does their Life tapping and end up fainting…" Lythnar replied, rubbing his forehead.

Shad'ara laughed slightly,

"It is just like raising a child Lythnar, count this as preparation of the time that is soon to come… If it hasn't already…" Shad'ara replied, suddenly remembering that she didn't know how long it has been.

"You were gone for a month and a half, Sallaria is due soon which is why Lur'kai made such a big deal about it because I keep leaving to check up on her. Sallaria has been sleeping more often and hardly gets a chance to walk around a stretch her legs because of her excessive need to sleep," Lythnar said as they entered the Walk of Elders.

"Promise me one thing though…" Shad'ara said, moving to the right a bit to avoid running into a sign.

"And what's that?" Lythnar asked.

"Promise me that you two take care of yourselves while your son is in need of both of you, it can be stressful in the early days of parenting…" Shad'ara replied as her and Lythnar exited the city.

Will do," Lythnar answered, summoning his demonic steed, calling upon his lesser demonic mount for Shad'ara to ride.

* * *

Sallaria was resting in bed and sewing something from blue silk when Lythnar brought Shad'ara; she looked up and smiled slightly before placing her work aside. Lythnar walked up to the bed and sat down, helping Sallaria adjust herself so she can properly greet Shad'ara, she was wearing a white silk nightgown that would usually be loose and flowing around her feet, but was tight due to her swollen belly.

"It is so good to see you safe and sound, Shad'ara…" Sallaria said to her cousin.

Shad'ara nodded slightly before looking to Lythnar,

"She wants to become a Warlock, but I have no idea how to start training her as one since she willingly wants to be one…" Lythnar explained.

Sallaria thought for a moment before motioning Lythnar to move so she could stand,

"It is quite simple really," Sallaria said as she wobbled over to Shad'ara "You just need to start studying the basic lessons of an acolyte. Since you are a priestess becoming a warlock, you may have a harder time since warlocks are more like mages studying the demonic arts…" Sallaria explained, placing a hand on her belly while her face twisted slightly in pain.

"How long until I get my inner Demon?" Shad'ara asked, helping her cousin over to the bed.

Sallaria thought a moment, looking to Lythnar as her face twisted to pain once more,

"Well, I didn't get my Inner demon until I was fifteen due to me being so young when I switched over… For you, I would base it on how long it takes for you to learn demonic and the basic of spells," Sallaria replied.

Lythnar helped Sallaria get comfortable again before placing a kiss on her forehead and rising to his feet.

"Thank you for the information Sal, I will begin training her as soon as we reach the Sanctum," Lythnar murmured.

Sallaria nodded slightly before leaning back against some pillows, resuming her sewing as Shad'ara followed Lythnar out of the room. Along the way out, Lythnar picked up a thick black tome with glowing red demonic runes etched on the front. He examined it for a bit before sighing slightly and motioning for Shad'ara to follow.

* * *

Back at the Sanctum Lythnar handed Shad'ara some acolyte robes to wear so her training could begin. He motioned for her to go to a small room where she could change before opening the Black tome he picked up earlier.

"Picked up another acolyte Lythnar?" purred a feminine voice.

Lythnar gazed up slightly and sighed at a brunette female blood elf wearing violet robes radiating in void energy.

"Yes Laeriel I did," Lythnar answered, trying not to make a conversation with her.

Laeriel smiled to herself,

"Well, aren't you an overachiever, this is the third acolyte this month," Laeriel said in pretend praise.

"I would be training them if you didn't take them into your own hands; you only like to train males, this I know…" Lythnar said harshly.

"I train females too," Laeriel said defensively "It is just I find males far easier to train, they don't whine…" she added.

Lythnar turned his back to the warlock, waving her off as Shad'ara began walking back over to him,

"Sure, whatever you say…" he muttered in demonic.

Shad'ara raised a brow when she came within hearing range, when she noticed Laeriel roll her eyes and send a sneer towards Shad'ara; she understood what was going on.

"Laeriel giving you trouble?' she asked.

Lythnar sighed and rubbed his forehead, he looked much stressed,

"I seriously don't know how she managed to do it, they were fine when she would make daily visits to check up on everything, but as soon as the pregnancy became too difficult for her to make the trips, they have been acting up…" Lythnar replied in a low voice.

"It will be fine Lythnar, you know what they say, 'When the hunter is away, the Springpaw will play…' I am sure when Sallaria comes back things will go back to normal…" Shad'ara assured.

Lythnar nodded and closed the tome he held,

"Now, from memory I know you don't need to study as long as most acolytes do before going out to get their Void Gems," Lythnar explained as he handed the tome to Shad'ara.

"Why is that?" Shad'ara asked, holding the tome against her chest.

"Your days as a priestess trained you to keep an even mind when it came to your shadow curse. Even when you lost control and became shadow, you quickly regained your will and banished the shadow deep within your subconscious through meditation…" Lythnar explained once more.

Shad'ara nodded before looking to the tome, she remembered Lythnar studying from this tome when he was an acolyte nearly two-years ago.

"How long do I have to study before I go and get my inner Demon?" Shad'ara asked, looking to Lythnar once more.

Lythnar turned to face her, his face stern like most of the master Warlocks of the Sanctum,

"I would say a week or so at most…" Lythnar replied, earning a jaw drop from Shad'ara.

Lythnar broke out into laughter, earning the gazes of the curious Acolytes. Shad'ara felt embarrassed as the acolytes starred at them, when Lythnar finished his bout of laughter, he wiped a slight tear away from his eye,

"I am only joking with you…" Lythnar said as he tried to regain his breath after laughing "Whenever you feel ready enough to go out in the field, you can… it can be a week from now or maybe even a month…" Lythnar added.

Shad'ara smiled, shaking her head slightly before looking back to the tome,

"I am ready to learn then… Master Darkshadow…" Shad'ara murmured.

Lythnar chuckled slightly before motioning Shad'ara over to an array of silken pillows surrounding a large Fel Crystal.

"Study the tome well, I suggest making notes in both Thalassian and demonic, it helped me tremendously during tests…" Lythnar murmured before he walked over to a male acolyte across from Shad'ara who was draining power from the crystal.

* * *

Three days later, Shad'ara was sitting in the Crystal room, studying from the tome Lythnar gave her as an introduction to her training. Lythnar had not yet arrived to the Sanctum that morning, so she took it upon herself to study the tome while she waited for him to arrive.

"You there, acolyte!" snapped a male voice.

Shad'ara sighed slightly, looking up from her studying to see a red-haired elf wearing red robes with green crystals on the chest and sleeves. She remembered him from three days ago as the master warlock who complained about Lythnar's departure from the Sanctum.

"Master Lur'kai?" she asked.

He looked down at Shad'ara, a sneer on his face,

"Lythnar is late again today," Lur'kai replied "tell him he needs to be more punctual…" he added.

Shad'ara bit her tongue to keep herself from talking back at the master Warlock; she knew he had a temper to add onto his cruelty.

"She doesn't have to tell me anything Lur'kai!" Lythnar snapped, causing Shad'ara to flinch slightly at the acid in his voice "last I checked, I was a master warlock here too, one who has a child due soon and can't always be on time," Lythnar added as he walked closer to Lur'kai.

"When is the wretched thing going to be born anyway?" Lur'kai snapped.

Shad'ara flinched when Lur'kai said that, for Lythnar's eyes started to turn Demonic in rage. He stepped towards Lur'kai and seized him up by his robes, slamming the warlock against the wall,

"My son isn't a wretch or a thing you bastard!" Lythnar hissed in demonic "It is none of your business what goes on in my or Sallaria's life, our child will be born when the time is right, and in no way will you dare order me or my acolytes around!" Lythnar added.

Shad'ara didn't think it possible for Lur'kai to show fear, his face went deathly pale. He nodded in fright before Lythnar released his robes, letting the warlock tumble to the floor before he turned away, heading towards Sallaria's office.

"Get back to your training!" Lythnar snapped to his acolytes, his voice between his own and Lyth'aros's.

Shad'ara never seen him so angry before, but Lur'kai deserved every bit of his rage. Shad'ara looked to Lur'kai who was now standing; he watched the now closed door of Sallaria's office before gulping and moving over to his neglected acolytes.

Shad'ara shrugged a little before looking back to the tome, looking for the syllable where she left off before Lur'kai interrupted her.


	13. A New Life

Sorry for the wait, I had a hard time for a certain scene because I have never written it before in my entire writing career. Please enjoy ;)

* * *

Shadow filled the room as images blurry images danced around; the room was bathed in a fel green hue from the dim fel fires burning in the braziers and torches, but also from the demonic crystal housed near the center on a pedestal.

They were confusing to Hagus for they showed various images within, some were of small children running through a field, and others were focused on Shad'ara and her family. Whether they were all from the future or some showed the past, the Void-Seer had to cease his visions to think on what visions he was granted.

"Thangorg, something doesn't seem right… I never was confused with my visions. I think I need to think on them some more…" Hagus murmured to his Voidwalker which remained silent

* * *

"Remember to concentrate, no need to rush…" Lythnar explained as he showed some acolytes how to summon the shadow to create a simple spell.

Lythnar turned towards a training dummy, sending the shadow he had conjured flying towards it with a hiss. Shad'ara looked upwards from the tome she read from, noticing the acolytes looking eager to try out the spell Lythnar just unleashed. As Lythnar was about to continue his lesson, Lur'kai's voice filled the room, all eyes rested on him and a ranger wearing a forest green hooded cloak,

"What does a ranger want with warlocks!?" Lur'kai growled, not yet aware that he was being watched "Go and stalk the wilds like the rest of your kind!' He snapped once more, but the ranger only crossed his arms, his face showing no emotion.

Lythnar held up a hand to excuse his acolytes and moved over to Lur'kai, his hands folded behind his back as he glided over to the scene. Shad'ara observed as best as she could, Lythnar spoke in hushed tones with Lur'kai and the ranger. Lythnar occasionally moving a hand from behind his back to silence Lur'kai's protests; As she was about to return to her studying, she saw Lythnar's ears perk up a bit before running up the ramp that connected to Murder row, the ranger following afterwards.

_'Damn him… always running off to play nurse maid for a worthless woman like her!_' Lur'kai muttered under his breath as he quickly moved passed Shad'ara.

"Excuse me, master Lur'kai…" Shad'ara called out, feigning her kind voice.

Lur'kai paused and sighed sharply before turning his gaze downward onto Shad'ara,

"What do _you_ want!?" he snapped.

Shad'ara kept herself calm,

"I'm just curious on what transpired between you, Lythnar, and that ranger…" Shad'ara replied.

Lur'kai turned fully to face Shad'ara, flicking some of his fiery red hair over his shoulder,

"Nothing you need to be concerned about _acolyte_, Lythnar went to go be with his woman who is in labor," Lur'kai replied.

Shad'ara's jaw dropped the tome she was reading sliding out of her hands. As she rose and turned away with a swish of her acolyte robes, Lur'kai lashed out to grip her forearm, making a slight yank to hold her back.

"Where the hell do you think you're going!?" Lur'kai snapped.

Shad'ara tried to rip her arm free,

"I am going to see my cousin, _Master_ Lur'kai," she hissed in an acidic tone "you have no authority over me since you aren't my current trainer!" she hissed once more.

Lur'kai chuckled a bit and forced Shad'ara to face him, his fel green eyes bright with rare amusement.

"Funny how you say that, because Lythnar handed the task of training you to me until he returns…" Lur'kai said as his mouth twitched with a smile.

Shad'ara wrenched herself free from Lur'kai's grasp, turning away with a swish of her robes as she made her way up to Murder Row. She wasn't going to be ordered around by a cruel warlock while her cousin was in labor.

* * *

Shad'ara was briefly greeted by Twilliara who ran passed her with a water basin filled with towels.

"Can you carry up the jugs of water for me? They are in the kitchen by the window…" Twilliara asked once she reached the top of the stairs. Shad'ara nodded and kicked off her boots before heading into Sallaria's kitchen.

One of the water jugs had a cloud of steam rising from the top as it sat next to a small steaming pot. Shad'ara rolled up her sleeves and moved the jugs to a tray to carry them without spilling the contents.

She nearly bumped into the ranger from the sanctum as she exited the kitchen, when she looked up she noticed that it was her cousin, Aellon.

"Need any help?" Aellon asked, reaching for one of the water jugs on the tray,

Shad'ara nodded and pointed her chin to the jug holding the hot water,

"Thank you, the steam was making it a little hard to see…" Shad'ara murmured as she walked passed Aellon and up the stairs.

As they reached the top, the door to Sallaria's room opened and out walked an auburn hair priestess wearing silvery robes under a woolen smock. She smiled slightly as she noticed Shad'ara and Aellon with the water jugs and reached out for them.

"How is she doing?" Aellon asked.

The priestess sighed slightly as she adjusted the water jugs in her arms,

"just contractions for now, but I suspect within an hour or two she will be ready…" the priestess replied as she turned towards the door, Aellon nudged it open for her as she attempted to push it open with her foot.

"May I come in?" Shad'ara said before the priestess shut the door using her hip,

The priestess paused and looked to her side before looking back to Shad'ara and nodding slightly,

"But I am afraid lord Aellon will have to stay out, only the father of the child can be in here right now…" the priestess replied as she walked away from the door to let Shad'ara pass.

She looked to Aellon and smiled a bit before closing the door gently behind her. Sallaria was resting against an array of pillows, Lythnar holding one of her hands gently between his while Twilliara wiped a cloth over her forehead. The priestess was mixing the water from the jugs into a basin placing herbs into the water before moving over to Shad'ara with a smock identical to hers.

"Can you tend to the water until the child is born, we need to keep it warm," the priestess asked, wiping her brow with a silken cloth.

"Do you have any firebloom?" Shad'ara asked as she gazed at the basin of water.

"T-There should be… some in the small chest on the bookshelf…" Sallaria said though short breaths of pain.

Shad'ara nodded once more and moved to the bookshelf containing grimoires and journals bound with violet leather. She found the chest Sallaria spoke of on top of Valdimirr's herb book she lent to her many months ago. She was welcomed by a fiery light from the blooms as she opened the chest, she gently plucked a tiny blossom from the sprig inside the chest before promptly closing it and dropping the blossom into the water, dusting her hands out of habit.

"That should keep it warm for a bit…" Shad'ara murmured as she leaned against the wall next to the basin.

* * *

Sallaria writhed in pain as contractions stretched throughout her abdomen; Lythnar steadied her as Twilliara hummed a soothing hymn as she sat in front of Sallaria to birth her nephew. The priestess stood next to her with warm towels in her arms.

"Easy Sallaria, it's almost over…" Lythnar murmured into her ear, brushing some hair from her face.

Sallaria howled out in pain, making Twilliara to begin singing the soothing hymn rather than humming it. Sallaria writhed in pain once more, her eyes twitching as she applied slight pressure on her abdomen before falling limp into Lythnar's arms. A shrill cry replacing the silence in the room, Shad'ara smiled; she new by the sound of the cry the baby was healthy. She moved to open the window to bring some fresh air into the room after the infant was washed and wrapped in a warm towel.

"Shad'ara, will you go tell others that it is alright okay to come in now?" Twilliara said in a worn out sigh as she rinsed her hands.

Shad'ara nodded as she turned away from the window, her eyes resting slightly on Sallaria being helped into a seated position to hold her baby.

She walked down the stairs and three pairs of eyes rested on her,

"Aellon, Ximka, uncle…" she murmured "it is alright to come up now…" she added, earning sighs of relief from the three males as they rose to their feet.

She followed after them, closing the door behind them as their eyes rested on Sallaria holding her child, a weak smile on her face. Lythnar sat sideways on the bed next to her, holding her shoulders with one arm as he caressed his son's head.

"So, what is my grandchild's name?" Linarii asked as he moved towards his daughter.

Lythnar and Sallaria looked up with smiles on their faces,

"Sallnar Theolin Darkshadow…" they said in unison.

Linarii smiled, resting one of his hands on his side while the other rested on Lythnar's shoulder,

"It is a good name, shows strength and pride that every child of Sunbreeze should have… You have my blessing as head of the family," Linarii murmured in his hollow Death Knight voice.

Lythnar smiled once more and bowed his head in thanks. Linarii moved away to allow his sons to move in to see their nephew.

"Well, he surely has his mother's eyes…" Aellon said with a slight chuckle.

"We will have to wait until he is older to determine that… remember when I said that about Twill and it turned out she had father's eyes instead?" Sallaria responded in the same tone as he brother.

"You never know, sal, he might be different, he might as well have your eyes…" Ximka said leaning his elbow on his twin's shoulder, a wide grin stretched across his face.

"You are supposed to be on my side Ximka!" Sallaria chuckled.

Ximka stuck his tongue out at his sister before bursting into another bout of laughter.

"Hey you two, go easy on your sister, she had a very bust day today and deserves rest…" Shad'ara said, earning a nod from Twilliara.

"We should leave her be for now…" Twilliara murmured.

Lythnar rose from the bed stretched a bit before helping Twilliara usher out the twins with Linarii rolling his eyes behind them.

"Oh, and Lythnar…" Shad'ara called out, "may I have a word with you real quick?" she added.

Lythnar nodded and walked over to Shad'ara,

"What is it Shad'ara?" Lythnar asked, his voice starting to sound fatherly.

"Since you will be about for a while, who will be the head of the sanctum in your absence?" Shad'ara asked "moreover, who will be training me?" she added.

Lythnar sighed and rubbed his chin in thought.

"Lur'kai will have to be the leader of the Sanctum in my absence, as well as your trainer due to Laeriel being the kind that prefers the male acolytes…" Lythnar answered nonchalantly.

Shad'ara nodded and walked away uttering her thanks, moving down the stairs to head back to the Sanctum. She didn't allow the others to see the cold gaze on her face, for she wasn't thrilled to have one of the cruelest of master Warlocks being her trainer and substitute master of the Sanctum. But it was what Lythnar wished, so she had to like it.

* * *

Lur'kai was waiting in the main room of the Sanctum with his arms crossed and a smug look on his face. Shad'ara rolled her eyes at him and moved back over to where she was studying from her grimoire earlier that day to see it gone.

"You should really keep a close eye on your grimoires; I caught someone tampering with it before being scared off by my Fel Guard…" Lur'kai said in a slight annoyed voice.

Shad'ara turned and looked to Lur'kai her face blank as stone, but rage burned within her, which was unknown why she was so angry at him in the first place.

"Alright, so where is it then…?" she asked in an even tone "that grimoire is Lythnar's… He let me borrow it in my early days as an acolyte…" Shad'ara asked.

Lur'kai held out his hand, his palm flat and pointing upwards as the grimoire appeared in his hand out of a wispy orb of shadow.

"I have it, you won't need it though, and I decided to test you on what you learned so far before allowing you to continue you is studying, you are quite behind, and the other acolytes are getting ready to go earn their Inner Demon…" Lur'kai said smugly as the grimoire disappeared into a wisp of shadow once more.

Shad'ara sighed in defeat, sagging her shoulders, earning a cruel smile from Lur'kai as he moved towards her,

"Now, to begin the test..." Lur'kai said as he rolled up his sleeves.


	14. The Ritual of the Inner Demon

haha, This would have been up earlier, like around 10 o'clock but I went to Comic Con and Met Richard Horvitz and Quinton Flynn ^^; I have been anxious to type this one up for the longest time. Any way enjoy, I worked hard on this, I am currently running on 3-hours of sleep XD

* * *

A fel fire lash snapped across Shad'ara's knuckles, causing her to hiss in pain and glare at the wielder of the lash. Lur'kai leaned against the wall of to her right with a stern look across his face.

"You are doing the motions wrong!" he snapped "You can continue with them if you'd like that pretty little face of yours marred by fel fire," Lur'kai added.

Shad'ara remained silent and took a deep breath to calm her nerves before beginning the motions of the spell she was attempting. As she began building up power behind the spell, Lur'kai pushed himself away from the wall and moved over to her, circling around like a carrion bird, watching her movements as he tapped a golden claw latched to his index finger against his jaw in thought. When her back began to strain from standing in the same spot for nearly an hour, she slumped, causing Lur'kai to pause and summon his fel lash to snap against her lower back.

"Don't go lazy on me, you won't move or take a break until you get your motions right!" he snapped, as he continued his motions.

* * *

Shad'ara fell back on her bed in exhaustion. It was well into the evening before lur'kai allowed her to go home and recharge her mana reserves. Her muscles in her back and legs ached, practically screaming for something to soothe them. Usually, Shad'ara would use her healing arts to sooth them, but that was a slight problem for her now.

"I should just stay home and rest tomorrow," Shad'ara said in a groan of pain as she used what remained of her strength to push herself into a seated position. She leaned over to her bedside table to grab a sealed jar containing amber hued cream.

"Nah, I shouldn't, he would only reprimand me and push me twice as hard…" Shad'ara murmured to herself as she opened the jar and started rubbing the cream into her lower leg muscles.

She continued on in silence, feeling the cream starting to use its properties to sooth her aching muscles. When she was finished, and the jar was sealed and placed back to its spot, Shad'ara curled up into a ball in the center of her bed, her acolyte robes hanging open, her midriff bare from her undershirt being kept away from the soothing cream on her back. After a few moments of staring at her wall, Shad'ara rose to her feet to ready herself for a good night's sleep, her eyes rested on Valdimirr's staff for a short moment before sighing heavily and moving to her wardrobe.

* * *

Nikita walked through the Highlands under the effects of an invisibility spell to remain undetected until she reached her mother's home. It took her longer than she expected due to the constant battles between the Horde and the Alliance and the Twilight's Hammer. But she made it this far, she only needed to find a secluded glade where her mother resided under the radar of the Twilight's Hammer. But her attention rested on a female figure resting by the road, holding her side as if injured, wearing tattered robes stained in both red and black blood.

She dropped her spell to kneel beside the figure to tend to her when she noticed the figure's face.

"Mother…?" Nikita exclaimed.

The female looked up and smiled weakly,

"I sensed your presence in the Highlands, I wanted to meet you half-way but a Twilight Dragon got to me… I-" the woman flinched a bit in pain "I managed to scare it off with a deep cash in its hind leg after an ice shard stuck it…" she added through clenched teeth.

Nikita dug through her satchel and handed her mother a healing potion before moving to help her stand.

"Why didn't you use a mount?" Nikita asked as she placed her mother's arm around her shoulder to guide her the rest of the way to their home.

"Right… my mounts have been spooked by the rise in activity in the Highlands and keep getting out… I am afraid when they leave the safety of my glamour; they get gobbled up by dragons, ogres, or worse…" Nikita's mother replied.

"We need to fix that… When we get settled back home, getting your wounds properly treated, I will make a portal to Silvermoon and go for supplies and new mounts… we are going to need them in these times…" Nikita replied.

Her mother nodded weakly stepping as best as she could forward until they came upon a rock wall.

"use my ring dear, the glamour will respond and we will be able to pass…" her mother murmured, raising her hand holding a ring with a violet gem surrounded in gems of other various colors.

Nikita slid the ring off and held it to the rock, noticing it becoming ethereal. She turned her back to it and walked though the rock, guiding her mother through until they were in the glamour itself.

Her mother seemed to be healthy again, but her skin became ashen. When her eyes met her own, they were blood red, fixed in a dark gaze.

"Now that you are here, I can begin my work…' her mother said in a dark chuckle, standing straight and letting the glamour fall to reveal a room surrounded by coils of Elementium and various machinery.

"W-What is going on?" Nikita said trying to hide her terror.

"A little welcome home present from me and your father…" her mother said as she tapped a cylinder containing Elementium and other metal scraps "now, let's see about getting you cleaned up and ready for your journey to Silvermoon…" she added, sending a dark tendril forward to wrap around Nikita.

"I truly missed you my dear, it has been too long since we last had a chat…" her mother chuckled.

* * *

"I believe you are ready to earn your Inner Demon," Lur'kai said as he walked into the main room of the Sanctum.

Shad'ara looked over to him, her eyes looked dim from lack of energy, Lur'kai had kept her over night to have her study some demonic texts while he got get a good night's rest.

"Lythnar agrees if you don't believe me, I have been giving him weekly reports like he asked for the past three weeks… he said that since you have this shadow affliction you don't need to charge up on fel energy. Instead you will go out in the field and pick three Void Crystals and come back here, and then we will begin the ceremony…" Lur'kai explained as he now stood in front of Shad'ara, his hands on his waist as he gazed down at her.

"I'm going alone?" she asked.

Lur'kai sighed and rolled his eyes and pulled Shad'ara to her feet by her forearm,

"No, I am going with you so your demonic take over doesn't start when you touch the gem… I am immune to them so I will be holding onto your chosen gems until we return…" Lur'kai explained ushering Shad'ara towards the exit of the Sanctum.

Shad'ara held back a yawn once the chilly morning air of Murder Row hit her face, she hardly noticed lur'kai place a cloak over her shoulders before he lifted her onto his fel steed.

"This would be easier if you brought your own mount instead of walking…" he grumbled as he climbed onto his mount, settling behind Shad'ara before snapping the reigns.

With a demonic snort, his fel steed reared backwards before sprinting down the alley, the wind causing Shad'ara's eyes to struggle staying open from the speed they were going at. The city gave way to the mystical wilderness of Eversong Woods before Lur'kai yanked the reigns roughly to his right, forcing his mount to turn towards the Dead Scar. He had slowed his mount a little ways, as if being cautious of the long absent undead. Shad'ara relaxed a bit, during the journey out of the city she had dug her fingers into the scaly saddle of Lur'kai's demonic steed, them aching in response.

"What do you think my Demonic Hunger might be?" Shad'ara asked after a few moments of silence.

Lur'kai gazed downward for a few moments before returning his attention ahead of them,

"It will be whatever your Inner Demon decides it wants to do while in its new body…" Lur'kai responded.

"What is your inner Demon?" Shad'ara asked once more after a few seconds.

She was rewarded by silence; she swore she could hear Lur'kai's jaw pop from him clamping his jaw. She sighed sharply unintentionally, earning a sigh of defeat from Lur'kai.

"How about you guess than having me give you all the answers, this is a test…" Lur'kai said in a stern voice.

Shad'ara thought for a moment before straightening her back,

"Well, you have a short temper so that rules out a Void dweller…." She started "And no way in hell you have a succubus as your inner Demon…" Shad'ara added.

Lur'kai remained silent, urging his mount to speed up as they came upon a stream meandering through the blackened soil to connect the great Elrendar River.

"You are very cruel and strict with everyone…" Shad'ara murmured.

Lur'kai sighed,

"I'll give you a hint… my Demonic name," Lur'kai said feeling annoyed over Shad'ara's little strategy of guessing.

"And?" she asked.

"Kai'goril…" he replied before yanking the reigns of his mount, gesturing it to slow to a stop.

Shad'ara thought for a moment as lur'kai leapt from the saddle, dusting his hands and straightening the creases in his robes.

"A fel guard?" Shad'ara finally guessed before jumping into the damp black soil of the Ghostlands portion of the Dead Scar.

"Wrong…" lur'kai replied before grabbing Shad'ara's forearm and pulling her over to where dark gems of different sizes poked out of the soil, "There are more types of demons out there besides the basics…" he said before pulling out three small chests for Shad'ara's void gems.

* * *

Back at the Sanctum in a small closed off room, Shad'ara starred at the void gems she had chosen rest at her feet. Lur'kai stood next to Lythnar who skimmed through a thick demonic tome; he paused near the center of the tome and cracked his knuckles.

"Okay Shad'ara, you need to pick a gem and grasp it tightly in your dominate hand while holding it against your forehead…" Lythnar guided.

Shad'ara looked to the gems; she felt a slight familiarity to the gem in the center near her right foot and knelt down to pick it up. When she stood straight, Lur'kai was behind her to place a silken cloth over her eyes,

"Just in case there is a succubus in there…" he murmured before his footsteps marked that he was moving back to his spot.

Shad'ara felt nervous and was forced to take a few deep breaths before grasping the gem in her right hand and placing it against her forehead.

"Now repeat these words after me…" Lythnar said before clearing his throat.

_"Demon trapped inside; take my offer to become your vessel to cure your demonic hunger!"_

Shad'ara cleared her throat to repeat what Lythnar had said, surprised when the words came out in demonic instead.

_"In exchange for this bargain, you must allow me to assume your form and learn the greater knowledge of demonic arts!"_

Shad'ara repeated those words and as the final syllable left her mouth, she felt a cold chill sweep though the gem into her forehead before spreading throughout her body. She felt someone take the gem from her as she began to feel her head beginning to ache, doubling over in pain before falling to her knees.

"I-I-It…. H-hurts…" Shad'ara cried before she let out a screech in pain.

"it's going to, your mind is being taken over by a demon and it is sucking away your shadow to sate it's hunger before allowing you to assume it's form for the first time…" Lur'kai explained.

Shad'ara felt another surge of pain rush through her before feeling cold as ice, feeling too weak to even stand on her knees. She let out another screech of pain before hearing her robes beginning to rip and feeling her bones shifting and growths along her body.

She must have blacked out, for when she came to, her blindfold was gone and she was now standing, rather than kneeling. Lur'kai and Lythnar were looking up at her with astonishment.

"In all my days as a Warlock, a Shivara!" a voice sounded.

Shad'ara looked over to see Laeriel standing in the door way, her jaw agape and eyes wide was the moon.

Shad'ara looked down to examine her new form; her skin was red with demonic runes along her legs and abdomen. She had four extra arms with long sharp talon-like nails. She heard Lythnar chuckle before he summoned a fel crystal for her to look properly at her new form.

Let's learn your Demonic Name, shall we?" Lythnar said as he channeled a spell into the crystal. Shad'ara continued to gaze at her reflection; her eyes were a bright green, her ebony hair loose and hanging around her shoulders, covering more demonic markings. She had red wings twitching in response to her movements.

"Shad'ara we need you to pay attention, we need to learn your Demonic name before we change back…" Lythnar said, gaining Shad'ara's attention.

She nodded and looked into her reflection's eyes, after a few moments, her reflection smiled at her before the lips began to move; in her mind she heard a hissing echo of her Inner Demon say the name:

_'Shi'zara'_

She murmured it back before feeling her head begin to swim. She tumbled backwards, nearly landing flat on her backside if it weren't for Lur'kai. Her vision grew blurry before getting the sensation she was falling. When it cleared she was back to her normal form, her robes were destroyed to the point she was nearly bare. But what really caught her attention was the Silvery hair attached to her scalp rather than her onyx hair.

"Come on Shad'ara, you need to rest before you can continue your training with Lur'kai…" Lythnar murmured as he stretched.

Lur'kai placed his hand between her shoulder blades and guided her out to the main room of the Sanctum. Lythnar had moved ahead and unlocked the door to Sallaria's office,

"Sallaria said you can rest in here between training sessions," Lythnar said before handing her the key and walking towards the Sanctum's Exit.

Lur'kai gave her a rough push before shooing her away, moving towards a large fel crystal in the center of the room to beginning draining it's power from it.

Closing the door behind her, Shad'ara couldn't help but smile; she had gained her Inner Demon and made one step closer to becoming a full- fledged Warlock.


	15. The wayward Brother Part 1

I am glad this is done, I had typed out the last part at least three times before settelling on something. Please enjoy, it will start getting intense from here,

* * *

A figure draped in a black cloak walked through Murder Row, a trail of shadow following after each step. The figure came to a pause outside of an elegant building and gazed upon the archway leading to a ramp that housed the main room of the building. Taking a deep breath, the figure moved to the archway and made the journey below the alley way, into the building's heart.

The figure's hidden eyes rested on a female elf with Silver hair standing near a training dummy as she sent various spells of fire and shadow snaking towards it. The figure approached her and grabbed her shoulder gently. She jumped slightly from the sudden contact before turning to the figure, a brow rising in confusion.

"Sorry, I thought you were Master Lur'kai…" the female murmured apologetically.

The figure remained silent for a few moments before pulling back the hood of the cloak,

"Shad'ara I need to speak with you…" the figure said in a low whisper.

"Hagus?!" Shad'ara exclaimed "what are you doing here?! I told you to leave me alone!" Shad'ara added in the same tone as her exclamation.

"Shhh… please I need to speak with you," Hagus murmured as he tried to calm Shad'ara.

Shad'ara crossed her arms and turned her back to Hagus, her face pointed slightly upwards,

"Sorry, I need to get back to work before master Lur'kai returns from his errands…" Shad'ara replied.

"I had a vision that concerns you… And I need your help for something personal…" Hagus tried.

Shad'ara gazed over her shoulder for a moment before turning back to face Hagus once more.

"And what would that be?" Shad'ara asked, her arms still crossed, but this time out of suspicion.

"I fear you may be in danger, the vision I had was clear, but it was also cryptic and very confusing to me. It kept focusing on a young elven girl and a strand land tainted by an ancient darkness," Hagus answered.

"Well you better get started by figuring out what it is… Now why do you need my help?" Shad'ara asked in a sharp tone.

Hagus sighed for a moment before pinching the bridge of his nose,

"I need help discovering my past… You know before I wound up in the Shattrath Orphanage… I also keep receiving visions of me as a child with another boy and two elves I guessed to be the parents…" Hagus said in a low tone.

"I don't think I can help you with that… Your best bet would be the mages at the academy or a Shaman, if you are lucky finding one in these times due to the Cataclysm…" Shad'ara replied, turning away from Hagus and resuming her task.

Hagus sighed in defeat, pulling his hood back over his face, before turning away from Shad'ara, muttering something under his breath in demonic. Shad'ara rolled her eyes and built up power behind her spell longer than usually and unleashed the spell as she hear Lur'kai's voice off in the distance.

* * *

"It is time to test your communication with your Inner Demon…" Lur'kai said as he walked into the Sanctum's main hall the next morning.

Shad'ara yawned in response, it was just before dawn and she was going off of only a few hours of sleep from not being able to sleep the previous night.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked through another yawn.

Lur'kai sighed and reached for a thick crimson tome on a bookstand and started skimming through it.

"I mean, that your training for the day will be in your Demon form, and you will have to communicate with it to get through some exercises I had planned out… This will also test your ability on remaining in control and not becoming a slave…" Lur'kai replied before muttering something in demonic under his breath, closing the crimson tome and placing it back on the stand.

Shad'ara remained silent, feeling a shifting presence in the back of her head; she shivered when the feeling went down her spine, tendrils of cold radiating throughout her backside. Lur'kai cleared his throat to gain her attention, the cold sensation nearly vanishing as her attention shifted.

"I will not explain this again, so try to pay attention!" Lur'kai snapped.

He grabbed Shad'ara's forearm and pulled her towards the back room where the Inner Demon ceremony took place. It wasn't barren as it was before, training equipment were spread across the room ranging from target dummies to gnarled posts for attacks.

"Stand in the center if you would, where you stood for the ceremony…" Lur'kai explained after he yanked at the small crystal hanging from Shad'ara's neck.

Upon doing so, Shad'ara felt a tingling sensation run through her body, her fingers and legs going numb in the process. When she turned to face Lur'kai after reaching the spot she stood a few days earlier, Lur'kai held her Void Gem out as if he were about to drain power from an invisible force.

"Shi'zara_" _He said in an even tone.

Shad'ara felt a jolt run through her body, her heart beating rapidly as her form quivered in response to her transformation. She felt growths along her ribcage and shoulder blades from the Demon within her subconscious taking form. Her first true transformation she had blacked out from pain and never fully felt the transformation taking place. Her robes tore a bit as four arms sprouted from her ribcage, her nails becoming sharp talons. Her hair became black once more as it became loose from the force of her changing form.

As she outstretched her arms in the air as in triumph over breaking free, Shi'zara laughed, her demonic voice echoing through the air. She looked down upon Lur'kai's form, she was a good three feet taller than him, making him seem inferior, but she knew that he could easily banish her back into her vessel's subconscious without uttering a single word.

"_Really? You summoned me?"_Shi'zara teased, resting her six arms to her sides.

"Yes, I summoned you, not all warlocks are weak as your kind seems to believe!" Lur'kai growled as he pocketed Shad'ara's Void Gem, motioning Shi'zara to follow him over to a training dummy.

Shi'zara rolled her vivid green eyes before walking over to Lur'kai, pausing just short of the training dummy.

"I'm going to test you on your battle prowess, attack this training dummy with your Shivan blades," Lur'kai explained, handing Shi'zara some demonic blades glowing bright from the Fel runes carved into the metal.

_"How dare you order me around!" _Shi'zara hissed _'I'm not some trifling toy you can call upon as you please! I am a powerful Demoness!"_ Shi'zara added with acid.

Lur'kai snapped his fel lash at Shi'zara before reaching up and grabbing her throat, his arm becoming Demonic.

"I do as I please you wench!" he snapped "So defiance again and I will send you back to the Twisting nether in pieces!" Lur'kai growled.

Shi'zara's eyes seemed to dim a bit at Lur'kai's threat, nodding as best as she could in Lur'kai's grasp.

"So harsh… No wonder the acolytes fear you, dear brother…" cooed a feminine voice.

Lur'kai sighed and faced the voice's owner, his arm turning back to normal as he released Shi'zara's throat.

"What do you want Laeriel, I am busy!" Lur'kai growled.

"I wanted to watch my baby brother train his newest acolyte, I never had the chance until now…" Laeriel said in a teasing tone "plus, it looks like to me that you were just threatening her, not training…" Laeriel added.

"You aren't interested in the training, you are just envious of the fact an acolyte got a higher ranking Inner Demon than you!" Lur'kai hissed.

Laeriel placed a hand over her heart and flinched, as if someone had struck her,

"Well, well, aren't you touchy today…" Laeriel said.

Lur'kai clenched his fists in rage, Shi'zara watched in eagerness as she sensed something boiling within him. Laeriel walked over to Lur'kai with a sultry look on her face, she circled him like a hawk, trying to show dominance to her younger sibling.

"Lur'kai, we all know that you will never outshine me, I am the eldest of the family, thus meaning I always come out on top, while you dwell in my shadow…" Laeriel teased before turning her attention to Shi'zara "hmmm, she shows much restraint to the power she holds while in that form… I wonder how long it will last before she breaks and becomes a slave to her Inner Demon…" Laeriel added with acid in her voice before walking away from the demoness.

"I will see you at home, dear brother; I can't wait to hear how your acolyte's first official training went…" Laeriel murmured before moving towards the room's exit.

Lur'kai sighed sharply before turning back to Shi'zara, he looked somewhat calm, but she knew deep down there was a ticking time bomb.

"As I was saying before I was interrupted, attack the training dummy with your Shivan blades," Lur'kai said in an acidic tone.

Shi'zara looked back to the blades she was handed then the training dummy, swinging the blades slightly to get a feel of the weapons. She crossed the blades forward before ripping them through the air to slice deeply into the sack that acted as the dummy's abdomen, causing the straw entrails to spill out onto the floor, earning a sound of approval from Lur'kai.

"Don't stop now, keep attacking, you are long from being finished!" Lur'kai commanded.

* * *

Nikita groaned out in pain as she slowly came back to consciousness. She was lying in the middle of a cell crafted out of black metal with a violet aura. The last she remembered was her mother turning into a frightening creature with red eyes and pinning her to the ground while she experimented on her. Her robes were now tattered and covered with her own blood from the scratches she endured from the experiments.

Her eyes settled on a large tube filled with amethyst liquid containing armor scraps and various other metallic pieces floating in the liquid. Nikita never knew why her mother said her father wanted to welcome her home, he had died recently from a battle against the Twilight's Hammer, yet her mother acted as if he were still alive.

"Good, you are awake… ready for some bonding?" asked her mother from the darkness surrounding the room "I even brought some friends of mine that are dying to meet you…" she added as she came into view, two cloaked figures following after her.

"Why are you doing this?" Nikita asked in fright.

Her mother paused and smiled,

"the last time I saw my dear daughter was when she started at the Arcane Academy of Silvermoon, I hardly got to see her and I only want to bond with my sweet little girl…" her mother replied.

"So experimenting on me and keeping me trapped is your way of bonding and spending time with me?!" Nikita snapped.

Her mother wagged her finger as she clicked her tongue,

"With that tone of voice, you just earned another time out!" her mother growled before sending a bolt of violet energy towards the cage, causing the black metal to come alive and send jolts of pain through Nikita's body.

"I will return when you are more behaved and mannered…" her mother said as she re-entered the shadows, disappearing completely.

Nikita's vision danced as the jolts of pain dissipated, feeling too weak to hold herself up. She lay back down and curled into a fetal position, sobbing out of pain and fright of what was to come.

* * *

As Shad'ara was practicing in the main hall of the Sanctum, her eyes settled on a familiar tall figure walking quickly over to her, worry in his eyes. Shad'ara paused in her spell casting and focused more on the figure, only to notice it was her father. He looked worn out, dark circles were visible under his eyes and his skin was paler than usual.

"An'da?" Shad'ara asked "What's wrong, why are you here?" Shad'ara asked once more.

Iranil sighed slightly before looking up at his daughter,

"It's your brother…" Iranil replied.

"Laerin? Did something happen in the Plaguelands?" Shad'ara asked as she felt her heart sink at the thought her brother might be severely injured or dead.

Iranil shook his head,

"No, it's Zaerindel… He was supposed to be doing his training as a Druid on Teldrassil, but your mother got a letter from him saying he joined the Cenarion Circle to fight against the Twilight's Hammer…" Iranil replied as he twisted his fingers together.

"Where was he sent to? I can go find him if you wish…" Shad'ara asked, worried about her younger brother's safety.

"I don't know, Zaerindel didn't say in his letter. He knows that if he tells where he is that your mother can have him sent home," Iranil answered before resting his eyes on something behind Shad'ara.

Shad'ara turned to see Lur'kai approaching, his face twisted into a sour expression,

"Who is this acolyte?" Lur'kai hissed "I thought I told you to not allow any interruptions today until you master your control over your Inner Demon!" he growled.

"I was, Master Lur'kai, but my father brought some urgent news concerning my brother…' Shad'ara answered, keeping her voice even.

"It doesn't matter if it is urgent or not, and interruption is an interruption!" Lur'kai hissed as he reached out to grasp Shad'ara's forearm tightly.

"Unhand my daughter this instant!" Iranil hissed, sending out an arc of light to take hold of Shad'ara, turning her ethereal as she was pulled over to his side "I will not have you talk or handle her like that again young man!" Iranil growled once more.

Lur'kai gulped a bit, fear betraying his attempt to hide all emotions from his face.

"B-but she needs to finish her training… If she doesn't control her Inner Demon she will become a puppet and will have to be trapped in a void gem forever…" Lur'kai answered with a shaken tone.

Shad'ara placed a calming hand on her father's shoulder,

"Easy, An'da you don't need this anger to make you even more stressed…" Shad'ara murmured.

"I hate to put you in this predicament, but I just want your brother home before he gets himself killed…" Iranil replied back in a whisper.

Shad'ara thought for a moment, looking to Lur'kai for a short moment before her eyes widened in an idea she had concocted.

"I will train while I search for him…" Shad'ara said.

"How will you do that? No grimoire can teach you what a master warlock can!" Lur'kai snapped, crossing his arms.

Iranil looked to his daughter and lur'kai before nodding, snapping his fingers,

"Well, in that case…" Iranil said in a gentle tone "You can go with her, I won't send her alone," Iranil added.

Lur'kai groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I like that idea An'da, I can train and look for Zaerindel all while making sure I don't become a puppet," Shad'ara said with a smile.

"It is settled then," Iranil said, looking to Lur'kai "I will take my daughter home so she can prepare for her journey while you do the same… We can meet in the Courtyard of the two academies…" Iranil said, moving towards the Sanctum's exit.

As Shad'ara went to follow, Lur'kai reached out to grab her shoulder, pulling her aside, his face expressionless, but annoyance radiated around him.

"I did not agree to this!" lur'kai growled in a low voice "There is no way in hell I am going on your little family rescue!" he hissed.

Shad'ara looked to him,

"It is either let me go search for my brother and risk becoming a puppet, or come with me and train me as I search for him…" Shad'ara answered "plus, I think I deserve a field trip anyhow, I've been working my ass off for the past three weeks, and I need some field experience as a Warlock…" Shad'ara added in a teasing tone.

Lur'kai rolled his eyes and moved passed Shad'ara, bumping into her shoulder roughly to show his anger. Shad'ara rolled her eyes and walked over to her waiting father to go prepare for her journey.


	16. The Wayward Brother Part 2

I was worried about waiting to submit this, my internet had went down for two hours, coming back on right after I finished typing this XD Anyway enjoy

* * *

Shad'ara entered her home, not worrying about removing her slippers as she began gathering a random assortment of herbs from their flower pots in her sitting area. She stuffed them into a medium sized pouch before moving to her stairs and down the upper hall to her room, her eyes immediately settling on Valdimirr's staff. She felt a pang of sorrow radiate in her chest before pushing it aside and resuming her preparations of her departure.

"Your trainer must not be popular amongst the other Warlocks…" murmured Iranil's voice.

Shad'ara stuffed a set of clean robes into her bag before turning to face her father, her face twitching from the smile trying to peak through her mask.

"He is just like that because of his sister Laeriel… another master warlock who plays favorites with the male acolytes…" Shad'ara answered as she moved over to a shelf containing crystal vials and some parchment.

Iranil scratched his chin in thought as Shad'ara packed a few more items,

"I will meet you in the Arcane Academy's courtyard with a portal ready…" Iranil said as he pushed himself away from the doorway of his daughter's room. Shad'ara nodded absently before gathering a set of traveling clothes and moving over to a privacy screen.

Her acolyte robes were hanged from the screen when she emerged wearing a tunic and trousers made of Runecloth, she pulled on some gloves made of the same material before draping a Runecloth cloak over her shoulders, complete with some cloth shoulder guards. With a satisfied sigh, Shad'ara lifted her travel bags onto her shoulder, stopping by Valdimirr's staff to take hold of it, feeling a familiar electric sensation as she touched it after so long.

* * *

Shad'ara bumped into Lur'kai as she entered through the main gate of Silvermoon on the back of a vibrant violet Hawkstrider clad in bejeweled golden armor. She could see the storm brewing in his eyes over being semi-forced into being her traveling companion on this voyage. Shad'ara was about to say something to her traveling companion until she took notice of a sleek and lanky black cat with vivid amber eyes. Its fluffy tail was flicking slightly as it was perched upon Lur'kai's shoulder.

"That's a nice cat… you got there, master Lur'kai…" Shad'ara said cautiously.

Lur'kai sighed heavily, glancing a little ways to look at Shad'ara before looking straight once more,

"Damn beast won't even let me leave for a few days… he thinks I'm abandoning him…" he muttered in a strained voice, most likely from trying to hold back a hiss.

Shad'ara snickered a little, eyeing the cat once more, this time meeting its own eyes. It growled at her before looking away, its tail now flicking in annoyance.

'_It acts just like him…_' whispered a voice inside of Shad'ara's head.

Shad'ara shivered a little when she realized it was her Inner Demon speaking to her. She knew that Sallaria and Lythnar spoke with theirs from time t time, but she never knew how creepy it was to hear a voice that wasn't our own inside your head. She was so lost in her thoughts; she almost didn't notice that they were now at the end of Murder Row, almost to the Court of the Sun where the Arcane Academy and the Temple of the Sun were located.

"Master Lur'kai, do you ever hear your Inner Demon's voice?" she asked to break the silence.

Lur'kai remained silent for a few moments to let the question sink in,

"Not as much as I used to… I can block him out now, thank the Sun for that…" Lur'kai answered as he came to a stop beside the archway leading to the Courtyard connecting the temple and Academy.

Shad'ara dismounted and tied her mount up to a wooden post on the opposite side of the archway before moving towards Lur'kai. He reached up and grabbed his feline companion by the scruff and promptly dropped him into the cobblestone before nudging it away with his foot. He followed after Shad'ara, stopping a few feet beside her when his eyes rested on three elves in front of them. One was female with silvery hair pulled into a braid; she strangely wore druidic clothing and was slightly taller than the elf next to her. Lur'kai easily recognized him as Shad'ara's father; clad in priestly attire as he stood next to what Lur'kai knew was Shad'ara's mother.

"Shad'ara, this is Garion of the Arcane Academy, he had agreed to summon a portal to Stormwind for you," Iranil said in an even tone.

"Stormwind?!" Lur'kai exclaimed "that is Alliance territory, we will be killed on sight once we touch ground!" he added with a hiss.

Shad'ara sighed, turning to Lur'kai to motion him away to speak with him privately,

"Lur'kai, I think you should know…" Shad'ara murmured.

"Know what exactly?" Lur'kai asked as he crossed his arms.

"That I am half Kaldorei and my brother is also a Kaldorei…" she replied in a low tone.

Lur'kai's jaw seemed to nearly drop in shock of the truth he was given.

"That doesn't explain how we're going to get through Stormwind…" Lur'kai muttered.

Shad'ara rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to her father,

"Care to explain father?" Shad'ara asked with a brow raised.

Iranil smiled and dipped his head in a slight nod before reaching into his pockets, producing two silver rings encrusted in violet gems.

"These will provide you with glamour while you ask around Stormwind…" Iranil explained, handing the rings to Shad'ara and Lur'kai.

Lur'kai could almost smell the arcane energy radiating off of the ring, this was a powerful enchantment, nearly similar to the strange orbs of deception the magisters created sometimes out of boredom.

"You will arrive in Stormwind via portal, there you will be under a special glamour and appear as High elves. I beg that you don't use your demonic arts while there for it will weaken the glamour and blow your cover. I need you to ask around for Zaerindel in an attempt to figure out where he went; surely some adventurers might have seen him while exploring Azeroth…" Shad'ara's mother explained as she nodded to Garion to conjure the portal.

Shad'ara slipped the ring onto her left ring finger, her eyes becoming a soft sky blue like the High elves had. Lur'kai followed suit feeling the arcane enchantment activate, filling his body with a tingly sensation as the glamour took effect.

"Good luck, and May the light be with you…" Iranil murmured as he placed a prayer over Shad'ara and Lur'kai as they entered the portal.

* * *

Laeriel walked into the Sanctum with a wide grin on her face. Her brother was away on a voyage with his newest acolyte, Lythnar was away with Sallaria and their son, and that made her the Master Warlock of the Sanctum for a while. As she entered the main chamber, she intertwined her fingers and bent them until her knuckles popped, getting ready to show her authority. That is until her eyes rested on a figure leaning against the wall near Sallaria's office.

"Good to see you again Laeriel…" the figure cooed.

The figure was female, having violet hued black hair pulled into a messy bun. Her glowing amethyst eyes held a demonic appearance to them as well as visible horn protruded from her forehead.

"Violet… Why are you here, shouldn't you be in Outland?" Laeriel asked, crossing her arms.

The demonic elf smiled, showing visible demonic fangs before pushing herself from the wall, a tail flicking as she moved towards Laeriel. She wore clothing that showed off her cleavage and the upper portion of her legs, almost like a succubus.

"I've been assigned to watch over the Sanctum by Sallaria herself…" Violet replied.

"This isn't fair, you aren't a Master Warlock! " Laeriel growled "You are only a puppet of your Inner Demon!" she added with a hiss.

Violet started to laugh, her demonic markings glowing brighter from it.

"You of all people should know I regained my will over my Inner Demon, thanks to Sallaria… I owe her everything, and this is one of the things I can do to repay her for her kindness…" Violet said through her laughter.

Laeriel sighed sharply, crossing her arms as the demonic elf walked towards some fel crystals, still laughing at her.

* * *

Shad'ara walked through the canals of Stormwind, her disguised eyes scanning for an adventurer who can probably point her to where her brother might be. When she nearly bumped into tall human wearing bulky plate armor glowing in enchantments, a large serrated weapon on his back, she knew she found an adventurer, no one looked dressed like that if they were a courier or a trainer.

"What it elf!" the human hissed.

"Apologies good sir…" Shad'ara murmured "But I am looking for someone who could be in danger and I need to know if ay adventurers have seen him…" she added.

"Can't help you there… try asking around somewhere else, I have places to be!" the human replied.

Lur'kai looked up to the Human with a brow raised,

"Your errands can wait!" Lur'kai snapped "The person we're searching for can't, he is in the danger of being killed!" he added, now toe to toe with the human, a finger jabbing into his breastplate.

The human looked nervous, but he compelled, only because he didn't want to be abused by an elf.

"I can't help you truly, I haven't been out exploring in some time!" the human said in fright.

"Do you know anybody who had been out exploring?" Lur'kai asked.

The human shook his head and looked at Shad'ara with a face filled with sorrow,

"Your best bet would be the Cathedral, a lot of adventurers go there for healing and other supplies before heading out…" the human added.

Shad'ara nodded slightly and Lur'kai stepped away, allowing the human to pass. Once he was out of hearing range, Lur'kai turned to Shad'ara.

"We have been at this for hours!" he hissed.

"Look, I know you are itching to continue my training, but it will have to wait until we learn the location of my brother and get out of here…" Shad'ara said with a sigh as she began moving forward.

"Do you even know what he looks like?" Lur'kai asked with his arms crossed.

Shad'ara paused and turned her head slightly,

"Well… uh, no… I just know that he is a Night elf and a fledgling druid… I never met him…." Shad'ara replied.

Lur'kai pinched the bridge of his nose before letting out a calming sigh; he looked as if he were a seething cauldron ready to explode. Shad'ara was grateful he didn't take his anger out on her, but she knew that one of these days he would, and it wouldn't be pretty.

"We better go to the cathedral then…" Lur'kai sighed, starting to walk forwards to where he could barely see the Steeples of the Cathedral.

They walked in silence until they reached the center of the district that held the cathedral. Shad'ara took a deep breath before turning to Lur'kai,

"I have a brother who is attending here as a priest, he is a high elf and may know more about Zaerindel…" she murmured before walking forward,

Lur'kai reached out and grabbed her forearm,

"And what if he doesn't?" he asked in an annoyed tone.

"Then we just start asking around…" Shad'ara answered, wrenching her arm free and walking towards the entrance to the cathedral.

Inside it was what you would expect of a place of worship. Benches were arranged into rows where an aisle covered with a blue and gold rug stretched up to a dais where an altar rested. Priests walked around with thick books or scrolls in their arms, their white and gold robes swaying around their feet. One priest in particular caught Shad'ara's eyes, he was tall and elven, with silver hair pulled neatly into a high tail, some of his hair left loose. He spoke with a human female with golden hair and soft brown eyes. She laughed at whatever he had said. Shad'ara moved forward, down the aisle, fidgeting out of nerves.

"Excuse me, kind sir, could I speak with you for a moment… out in the courtyard?" Shad'ara murmured, gaining the elf's attention.

The elf turned his attention from the human priestess and onto her, a soft smile on his lips,

"Of course you can, I have the time..." the elf said before turning his gaze back to the human "I will see you some other time, Lillian…" the elf murmured before motioning Shad'ara to walk.

When they reached the courtyard, Lur'kai close behind, Shad'ara turned to the elf and sighed.

"Laerin, it is me, Shad'ara… I need to ask you something…" she murmured.

The elf's eyes went wide and he quickly looked around before looking back to Shad'ara.

"You took a big risk coming here…" Laerin murmured "but what do you want to ask me?" he asked.

"It is about Zaerindel… An'da says that he joined the battle against the Twilight's hammer, but doesn't know where… I was wondering if you knew anything about him that might be helpful in locating him," Shad'ara replied.

Laerin rubbed his chin in thought,

"I always forgot you never met him…" he said in a low tone "But he is only five years younger than us… He always stopped by talking about the adventurers he met who been to the hotspots of the cataclysm…" Laerin answered.

Shad'ara nodded, looking slightly to Lur'kai before motioning Laerin to continue,

"He will probably be in any of the hotspots, but knowing him, he would be where ever nature is in control… I would either try Hyjal first… if not, your best bet would be asking the Druid stationed there, most of them come from Moonglade and Teldrassil and at some point might have seen Zaerindel," Laerin added.

Shad'ara nodded once more,

"Thank you Laerin, this means so much. But any tips on how to get to Hyjal?" she asked.

Laerin laughed slightly,

"I will take you to the Earthshrine where you can take a portal there, but please to be careful, it is dangerous out there…" Laerin murmured.

Shad'ara nodded once again and followed after her brother, looking to Lur'kai with a smug look which was rewarded with a sharp sigh and a roll of his eyes.

* * *

Hagus walked into the Courtyard of the Arcane Academy, many days he thought of trying to decipher his visions on his own but failed at each attempt. He took Shad'ara's advice into looking for a mage to help; he wasn't into looking for a Shaman, for he didn't feel right around them. He preferred arcane users due to their deeper understanding into magic, so here he was at the Arcane Academy.

He paused and scanned the courtyard hoping to find a mage instead of going through separate rooms where he was more likely to find a mage. His eyes rested on an elf wearing the robes of the academy, platinum blonde hair draped over his shoulders, and his bangs slicked back to help keep his vision clear.

"Excuse me, mage… I need a word with you," Hagus called out. He was a good ten feet from the mage; the least he could have done was move a little closer than yell across the courtyard.

The mage flinched and turned to face Hagus, his face twisted in a scowl, Hagus caught sight of a rune flickering on the grass before disappearing, holding back the urge to laugh. He moved towards the mage, stopping a few feet away and bowed his head in greeting.

"That spell took me hours to channel enough power to cast, you know how much arcane power and mana I wasted?!" the mage hissed.

Hagus eyed the mage, he felt familiar to him, but he knew for a fact they never met.

"I am sorry, but I need help in figuring something out, I need a mage, it won't take too long I hope…" Hagus replied, clapping the mage on the shoulder.

The mage sighed and held out his hand to greet Hagus properly, Hagus hesitated a bit before taking his hand, feeling an electrical shock run up his arm at contact,

"I am Garion Silverweaver… a pleasure, uh…" the mage said.

"Name's Hagus…" Hagus replied, feeling dizzy suddenly.

Garion released his grip and motioned for Hagus to follow him over to a wooden bench perched under a flowering white barked tree with amber hued leaves.

"Now, what is it that you need help with?" Garion asked, sitting down on the bench, looking up at Hagus.

"I, uh… need help deciphering some visions I received, it is a long story behind that…" Hagus answered.

"Humph… You could have gone to a shaman for that, mages don't dwell in those types of arts…" Garion said with a sharp sigh.

"I, don't really feel comfortable with Shamans, they are more primal and not like mages, my visions re more towards the arcane side of magic… well demonic arcane…" Hagus replied, rubbing the back of his head and looking away nervously.

Garion raised a brow smugly,

"Demonic eh?" Garion asked in amusement "You should have went to your Warlock friends…" he added in a low tone.

"They wouldn't understand, what I can do is kind of rare… it is the art of Void Seeing, I can gaze into the future with the powers of the void… but recently I was able to glance into the past and I need help figuring it out…" Hagus answered once more, this time looking at Garion, his eyes dim.

Garion remained silent, something about Hagus was disturbing him, there wasn't something right about him, but he also seemed stable.

"What's in it for me?" Garion asked, leaning back on the bench, his arms resting on either side as he looked to Hagus with an amused face.

Hagus sighed,

"I don't have much, but I can pay you twenty gold pieces, and give you a glance into your future… if you like…" Hagus answered.

Garion reached out with his hand which Hagus took, feeling the electric sensation once again,

"It's a deal then… but maybe not the vision…" Garion said with a half grin.


	17. The Wayward Brother Part 3

Sorry for the wait, I wanted this chapter to be good, and I had went to Sakura-Con week before last when I had my ideas for this chapter. Please enjoy I'm sure you guys will like this one :)

* * *

Laerin lead Shad'ara and Lur'kai through the Dwarven District of Stormwind, earning odd looks due to this district being popular by miners, blacksmiths, and engineers. It was rare for a Priest to come through the district, so seeing one was an oddity.

"Say, Laerin, why didn't father ask you to search for Zaerindel?" Shad'ara asked as they stopped before a bulletin board covered with parchment calling for adventurers to several locations for help.

Laerin remained silent as he examined each of postings on the board, sighing as he pulled off two pieces with the human language scrawled upon it.

"Because since I grew up with Zaerin, he knows that if I am there, I was sent to retrieve him and would run. He thinks mother and father are holding him back and wants to show that what he is capable of…" Laerin answered as he turned to hand the pieces of parchment to Shad'ara and Lur'kai.

"What are these?" lur'kai asked as he eyed the parchment suspiciously.

Shad'ara sighed pointed to the large lettering scrawled at the top.

"This will tell you…" she said in a slight murmur.

"I can't read Common, I was never taught..." Lur'kai confessed.

Shad'ara furrowed her brow as she felt that she might have just insulted her master by assuming he knew the common tongue.

"I-I'm sorry… I just assumed you knew…" she said apologetically.

Lur'kai flicked his wrist to cease her apologies,

"Bah, I don't need your apologies, your assumptions are better to be kept to yourself!" Lur'kai snapped before walking off towards and archway behind the bulletin board.

Shad'ara sighed and looked to her brother who in turn shrugged before motioning her to follow after him.

"I'm just so used to our family knowing common, I never think twice about other people may not knowing how to speak or read it…" Shad'ara murmured.

"It is fine Shad'ara, by the looks of it; this Lur'kai is just easily angered and takes everything in offense…" Laerin answered as they began walking down a stone ramp connecting to a meadow with a large lake in the center.

They spotted Lur'kai next to a tree, his arms crossed behind his back as he gazed forward. Laerin grabbed Shad'ara by the shoulder and pulled her back so he could speak with her.

"We are near the Earthshrine, while you try to get Lur'kai to calm down and get his mind back on the task, I will be speaking with the Shamans to grant us the ability to reach the shrine… Then onto Hyjal," Laerin said as he pushed Shad'ara slightly forward.

As Laerin walked over to a stout female dwarf with fiery hair, dressed in armor that occasionally crackled in thunder, Shad'ara moved to stand beside Lur'kai, mimicking his stance as she tried to think up the right words to get her master to calm himself.

"I didn't mean to assume… it is just most of our kind knew common up until a few years after the Scourge Invasion…" Shad'ara murmured.

"Then, how is it that you know it, you were born five years after the fall of Quel'Thalas…" Lur'kai said in a low tone.

Shad'ara sighed as she intertwined her fingers, biting her lower lip before finally gaining enough courage to answer her master.

"My father made sure all of his children learned common, Darnassian, Orcish, and Thalassian… You can guess the main reason why…" Shad'ara answered.

"Because of your siblings?" Lur'kai asked.

Shad'ara nodded slightly, gazing towards the direction of Laerin who was now staring at them. Shad'ara tugged on Lur'kai's sleeve before moving towards her brother. With a roll of his eyes, Lur'kai followed.

"This Shaman has agreed to allow us to the Shrine, allow her to touch your forehead to place a special blessing to allow you to cross the lake to the shrine…" Laerin said once they approached.

Shad'ara looked to the shaman and knelt down so the Shaman can place the blessing upon her,

"You got to cross as soon as blessing is placed or else ye are takin' a swim the rest of the way," the Shaman murmured as she touched Shad'ara's forehead, murmuring something in the elemental language.

Shad'ara felt a wave of cold radiate through her as she stood, feeling lighter than usual as she walked over to the lake. She knew that the spell placed on her was what the Shamans sometimes used to reach the heart of a river or lake to commune with the spirits of the water. She seemed to float over the water as she walked, her feet never got wet. She almost felt empty once she reached the shrine and the spell wore off. As she looked back she saw lur'kai was now half-way across, his face expressionless.

"Laerin said to look for a portal surrounded by roots…" Lur'kai said as he touched the ground.

"What if we are asked our purpose by the Shaman in the center of the shrine?" Shad'ara asked as she gestured to the Shaman.

Lur'kai sighed, shaking his head slightly,

"Laerin said that if we are asked, to show the parchment to him, stating that we are on important business…" Lur'kai replied.

Shad'ara nodded, following after Lur'kai who was heading towards a portal surrounded by roots bearing a faint image of its set destination. As a precaution, Shad'ara handed the shaman the parchment Laerin and taken from the bulletin board before following after Lur'kai.

* * *

"I need to know more about these visions of yours before I can even continue…" Garion said as he placed down a thick tome upon a solid oak table.

Hagus rubbed his temples, he didn't know how inquisitive this mage was, and it was tiring him out just having to explain himself over and over.

"I told you that they are cryptic…" Hagus grumbled as he plopped down into a plush chair.

"Yes, I know they are cryptic, but I am asking you to explain what you see in them…" Garion replied with a heavy sigh.

Hagus sighed as he looked down at his palms, where was he to begin, every day he received a new visions and some of his past ones were already forgotten…

"Well, lately I've been seeing into my past, but the thing is... I know nothing of it except of the fact that I was raised in an orphanage in Outland and that the visions of my past are really new to me…" Hagus replied.

Garion leaned against the oak table, his arms crossed over his chest as he eyed the warlock sitting a few feet in front of him, watching his palms as if he expected them to do something astonishing.

"What was the most recent vision of your past, maybe we can start figuring out the cryptic messages there…" Garion said as he brushed a few fingers through his hair.

Hagus closed his eyes for a few moments, thinking up his most recent vision about his past, by the time he got the entire vision out of his memories, it seemed like an eternity,

"Well, it started out showing a lard courtyard of some sort… Two boys near the same age ran around chasing after a Springpaw cub and two older elves were watching them with wide smiles on their faces…" Hagus started.

Garion stroked his chin as he took in the information, writing down parts that he thought were the key targets of the warlock's cryptic visions.

"What happened then?" Garion asked, gazing upward slightly to Hagus.

"It changed suddenly, focusing more on the two small boys, the vision wasn't very clear so I couldn't really see who they were… They were running through the forest that surrounded their home, coming upon a strange circle on the ground, it glowed brightly once one of the boys stepped inside, but that is when the vision darkened…" Hagus added.

Garion nodded and wrote down the remainder of what Hagus had told him. He read over a few of the notes he took, trying to process that vision that warlock had.

"This will take some time to figure out…" Garion confessed with a sigh and leaning back against the table.

Hagus returned the sigh and rubbed his face with his hands, just retelling the vision wore him out as much as receiving one was.

* * *

Shad'ara wiped some sweat from her brow as she slain a molten elemental attacking the grove they were in. The Druids had agreed to help them find Zaerindel at the cost of helping them with a few tasks. She and Lur'kai divided the tasks among themselves to cut their time in half, but it seemed to be taking longer due to these elementals being slightly immune to fire, she hadn't learned how to summon fel fire yet and she wished she had at this moment.

"That's the last of them for now…" Shad'ara murmured to herself as she made her way to the encampment of Druids.

She reported her success to the Druid her and Lur'kai had encountered when they arrived, who in turn nodded and smiled in thanks, handing her a water skin,

"This has some of the mystical waters of the Well of Eternity mixed in, it will make you feel better…" murmured the Druid.

Shad'ara nodded slightly and sipped from the water skin, it was true that the lake that the building sat near was the Well of Eternity… the second one that is. From what Shad'ara knew, this one wasn't supposed to be made; some Night elf only wanted to help and created the second one, causing the growth of the Great tree.

"The elf I came with, is he still out in the field?" Shad'ara asked as she handed the water skin back to the Druid.

The druid, who was a Night elf like her mother, sister, and brother, nodded slightly, pointing roughly northeast in the direction Lur'kai should be. With a nod, Shad'ara exited the encampment and heading in the direction the Druid pointed, seeing bright fel flames far in the distance. By the time she reached casting range of whatever Lur'kai was fighting, the fight has ceased, and Lur'kai stood over a corpse of an agent of the Twilight's hammer, a strange looking imp standing next to his feet.

"I came to help, but it seems that you don't require it…" Shad'ara said as she tried to regain her breath.

"I don't need any help acolyte; I am capable of summoning help if I need it!" Lur'kai snapped as he pulled out a bottle of volatile liquid.

"What is that?" Shad'ara asked as Lur'kai tossed the bottle towards Twilight's Hammer camp.

"A special liquid that spread fire quicker than an incineration spell, the green Dragons circling high above will sense it and set the camp ablaze…" Lur'kai answered.

"Not the liquid, the imp… I never seen it's like before…" Shad'ara murmured.

"Oh, Gibsy?" Lur'kai said with a brow raised, looking to his demonic minion, "He's a fel Imp, one of the more powerful of the summoned demons…" Lur'kai answered.

"I never knew you could summon one, I mean, unless you are studying demonology, but I never seen Lythnar summon one…" Shad'ara said in a low tone.

Lur'kai sighed and dismissed his fel imp, moving forward a few strides to stand in front of Shad'ara.

"I am the first of the Master Warlocks of the Sanctum to summon one; I studied deeper into the demonic arts to out show Laeriel… Gibsy is the proof of that, and Galaros my Void lord, Bragrik my Observer, and Rhiorrah my Shivan…" Lur'kai added.

Shad'ara nodded and moved passed Lur'kai turning towards the Druid encampment, pausing after a few moments when another question entered her mind,

"What is your Demonic Hunger?" she asked in a tone low enough she was sure Lur'kai didn't hear.

"I can't tell you that…" he answered.

"Why?" she asked as she turned to face him.

"Because you may not feel comfortable learning from me… Maybe when you learn of yours, I will share mine…" Lur'kai answered as he started walking forward once more.

Shad'ara nearly bumped into Lur'kai as she began to walk back to the encampment, as she looked forward; she saw why Lur'kai had stopped. He was watching a Druid with violet hair staring out at the enchanted lake that was the Second Well of Eternity.

"Could it be him?" Lur'kai asked.

"Could it be who?" Shad'ara replied, mimicking his tone.

Lur'kai clicked his tongue and pointed to the Druid,

"Your brother, who else could I be talking about?" Lur'kai snapped.

"Oh, I don't know… I will have to ask him…" Shad'ara replied.

Lur'kai turned towards Shad'ara grabbing her shoulders and shaking her slightly to gain her attention,

"We have been here for days, and you are behind in your training!" Lur'kai growled "you said that once we locate him, we can return to Silvermoon and resume your training!" he added with a hiss.

Shad'ara sighed and yanked herself free, rubbing her forearms as the feeling began to return slowly to her arms,

"Fine, I will ask the Druid if he is my brother…" she grumbled as she began to move towards the Druid.

The Druid didn't even notice her approach, either he secretly knew, or he was oblivious to his surroundings… As Shad'ara stood arm's length from him, she cleared her throat hoping to catch his attention.

"Excuse me, are you Zaerindel Moonbreeze?" she asked in a polite tone.

"That depends on who's asking…" the Druid replied, his voice smooth as silk and very elegant sounding.

"Well…" Shad'ara started. She didn't know what to say, she didn't want him to try and run away if he found out their father had sent her after him "Shad'ara… uh…" Shad'ara looked around for a moment before resting her eyes on Lur'kai.

"Shad'ara…?" the Druid edged on.

Shad'ara cleared her throat, "Shad'ara Felsun…" it felt so strange to use Lur'kai's own surname, but it was all she had.

The Druid turned to face her, he towered a foot or two over her, his amber eyes soft as he eyed her with curiosity. He raised his gaze slightly to gaze at Lur'kai before scratching the violet stubble starting to grow on his chin.

"What do you need of me lady Felsun, and why?" Zaerindel asked in Thalassian.

Shad'ara's eyes nearly went wide as she heard her younger brother speak Thalassian, but of course, her father had them learn it due to their heritage… She almost didn't realize Lur'kai was standing beside her,

"She was sent to return you to Moonglade for reassignment…" Lur'kai said in an even tone.

Zaerindel raised a violet brow in suspicion, looking between the two Sin'Dorei in front of him.

"Who sent for me?" he asked.

Shad'ara looked up to Lur'kai before sighing…

"H-He didn't say, he just told me to locate you and relay the news of your immediate return to Moonglade…" She lied.

Zaerindel didn't seem to believe them; he narrowed his eyes at Shad'ara as he scratched his chin in thought.

"I'm afraid that I will need some written proof, I'm afraid trust is not easily forgiven during these times… I'm sure who ever sent you will understand…" Zaerindel said as he turned to fully face Shad'ara as she turned to face Lur'kai with a look of defeat.

"I knew you looked familiar…" Zaerindel said in a low tone, switching to Darnassian.

Shad'ara flinched slightly before looking to Zaerindel,

"I'm sorry?" Shad'ara asked, faking her tone of confusion, but in truth she was going through an adrenalin rush.

"You look just like my father…" Zaerindel replied.

"I don't know how, I mean you are a Night Elf and she a Blood Elf… How can she look like your father?" Lur'kai asked, trying to help.

"Well… My father is a Blood elf…" Zaerindel said as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"So, are you claiming that all blood elves look the same?" Lur'kai said with a growl.

"N-No... I'm just saying she just looks like my father is all…" Zaerindel said nervously as he backed away towards the enchanted lake.

"Lur'kai, stop… I'll tell him the truth…" Shad'ara murmured.

Lur'kai for once obeyed her and stepped away from the Druid, earning a sigh of relief from Zaerindel.

"The reason I look like your father is because I am your sister… I am Shad'ara Sunbreeze; it is nice to meet you for once, Zaerindel…" Shad'ara said as she held out her hand.

Zaerindel looked even more nervous as the truth was given to him; he reluctantly took Shad'ara's hand before pulling it away and intertwining it with his opposite hand.

"F-Father sent you after me, didn't he…? B-but I can't go back, I wasn't learning anything and I keep on being held back..." Zaerindel said in a low tone. He looked to be on the edge of tears.

"He is only worried about you Zaerin, This is a dangerous place you chose to come too, he and mother haven't slept since you left Aldrassil thinking that you might be in trouble or…_dead_" Shad'ara said in a soothing voice, hoping to calm her younger brother.

Zaerindel shook his head as he backed away a few more steps, his feet now ankle deep in the enchanted lake. He seemed to take on an avian look as he looked back to her.

"I'm sorry, I can't go back… Not until I can prove that I don't need further training as a Druid…" Zaerin said as his form shifted into a large falcon, flapping what was once his arms to fly away from them.

"Damn it!" Shad'ara growled before moving off towards his direction.

Lur'kai grabbed her forearm and yanked her back,

"Forget it, He won't listen to us, it would be best to go home for now and tell your parents that he was too stubborn to return home with you..." Lur'kai said as he tried to walk back to the encampment.

Shad'ara used her opposite hand to free herself from Lur'kai's grasp, her eyes turning demonic from her inner rage boiling within.

"He is my brother Lur'kai; I am not going to leave him in one of the hot zones of the Cataclysm!" Shad'ara growled "I am going to go look for him whether you like it or not!" she hissed.

Lur'kai didn't hesitate; he grabbed hold of Shad'ara's forearms and forced her to look him in the eyes.

"And I'm not going to let my acolyte shirk on her training!" he hissed, his eyes starting to become demonic as well.

Shad'ara hissed in pain as Lur'kai's nails dug into her forearms, she looked helplessly at him, hoping he would at least lessen his grip, but no avail. So she began to struggle, hoping he would let go, but that only made him tighten his grip,

"Release me!" she hissed.

Lur'kai narrowed his eyes at her,

"Why, so you can postpone your training even further?" Lur'kai asked with a guttural growl.

Shad'ara ceased her struggling and glared at him,

"I am not returning to Silvermoon until my brother is safe and sound in Moonglade!" she hissed, this time she was successful in freeing herself from Lur'kai's grasp. All it took was enough force and a full on slap across his cheek.

But that only made him angrier, he lunged her for, grabbing her shoulders and pushing her against a tree, his face twisted into a snarl.

"You dare strike me like some lowly elf living on the streets?!" Lur'kai growled in demonic, his eyes had started to take on a demonic orange hue.

"You wouldn't release me, so I did what I was able to do; it wasn't wise… but I was defenseless and out of options!" Shad'ara growled back.

Lur'kai sighed and released her shoulders, stepping away a bit as he realized that she had only slapped him out of self-defense. He subconsciously rubbed his cheek where her hand and touched, it wasn't a forceful slap enough to leave a bruise, but it left quite an impact, his jaw ached because of it. Shad'ara placed a gentle hand over his and sighed in defeat.

"I'm sorry Lur'kai… I didn't mean too, but you gave me no choice…" she murmured.

Lur'kai sighed and looked at her, his eyes back to normal; he even seemed to soften up at bit as she apologized.

"I shouldn't have lost control like that, I agree that your brother is more important than anything, but I wasn't kidding about your training, your Inner Demon is just waiting for your mana reserves to diminish so she can overtake your mind…" Lur'kai said as he took hold of Shad'ara's hand. "And I wouldn't want that you happen to you," he confessed.

What he did next wasn't what Shad'ara wouldn't have expected from Lur'kai. He placed his lips against her in a gentle kiss. The kiss then began to evolve from gentle to a consuming one, causing Shad'ara to wrap her arms around him as he kissed her. His fingers tangling in her hair as the kiss intensified.


	18. The Flame Druids

Things are starting to heat up ;)

* * *

Zaerindel rested by a lake in a scorched valley once a thick and thriving forest filled to the brim with wildlife. He pulled his knees to his chest and rested his chin upon them, sighing softly as he listened to the cries of nature.

"It is a shame that this forest has to suffer…" murmured a feminine voice, snapping Zaerindel's attention back to the world around him.

He sat straight, looking around until his eyes settled on a lanky night elf with amethyst hair looped into twin braids, her robes slightly tattered and her eyes a fierce amber. Shadow danced around her as she pushed herself away from a long since burned tree and moved cautiously over to Zaerindel.

"I hear it cry out…But I can't do anything to help it, I'm not strong enough…" Zaerindel replied in a low voice, returning his gaze forward towards the lake in front of him.

"Why are you out here then?" the Night Elf asked as she knelt down next to Zaerindel.

Zaerindel remained silent, the Night Elf mimicking his face.

"I…" Zaerindel started to say before sighing gently and pushing himself to his feet, walking towards the lake, not caring that his bare feet sank in the soft mud as he neared the water.

"What?" the Night Elf asked, suddenly behind him, how she was able to move so fast was a mystery to the young Druid.

"I came here to prove that I am able to begin my advanced training as a Druid. My parents say that until I am able to commune with the forces of nature properly, I can move on… But I haven't been able to speak with the nature, only hear it…" Zaerindel replied.

The Night Elf moved in front of Zaerindel, placing her hands upon his shoulder,

"I may not be a Druid, but I may know of a way you can prove yourself to your parents… if you'll indulge me…" the Night elf murmured, her eyes becoming bright with amusement.

Zaerindel's interest was piqued; he nodded slightly, keeping his enthusiasm from making him frantically nod like a child at the Darkmoon faire.

"There is a group of Druids who stalk the wilds, they are trying to commune with the very elements as well as the nature in the hopes to help Hyjal, Nordrassil, and Azeroth… They have a camp near the Hyjal Barrow Dens…" the Night elf explained.

Zaerindel absorbed the information he had received, until he became curious on how the Night elf knew so much about these Druids, he didn't even know what class she was, all of the adventurers traveling through Hyjal wore enchanted armor, and the shadow surrounding her could be such an enchantment.

"Excuse me, but how do you know of all this?" Zaerindel asked, hoping he sounded polite.

"I have a friend who is with the Druids, she told me all about her group…" the Night elf replied, her eyes growing slightly dim "No need to worry yourself," she added, her eyes becoming bright once more.

Zaerindel sighed, letting his thoughts mull over all that has transpired, before looking over the Night Elf's head to watch the soft wind create waves upon the lake's surface.

"Before I go with you, I must know what your name and class is so I am able to locate you if I am ever in the need…" Zaerindel lied, in truth; he just wanted to know if he could trust this person, after all… His Blood Elven sister came to him to bring him home, for all he knew, this could be her in disguise or some family member he never met trying to take him home.

"Very well," the Female Night elf said in a slight purr "My name is Tyriah Moonshadow… I am a Priestess, but not of the temple of Elune in Darnassus…" she added with a slight smile playing upon her lips.

"Tyriah…" Zaerindel murmured to himself "take me to these Druids of yours…" he added as he looked down to the Priestess.

She smiled and reached down to grab Zaerindel's hand using her other hand to whistle for something. After a few short seconds, a black drake flew over to Tyriah, landing a few steps away from her as it lowered itself a little to allow her to climb into the saddle.

"This is Onyxwing, I found him injured in the wilds a few years ago…" Tyriah said as she stroked the obsidian scales of her draconic mount "He can carry us both if you wish…" she added, looking down on the Druid.

Zaerindel shook his head before his form began to shrink and his hair becoming silken feathers,

"I'll fly myself…" Zaerindel said through a black beak "thanks for offering though…" he added as he began to flap his wings.

Tyriah nudged her mount into flight, guiding him to the direction of the Hyjal Barrow Dens, Zaerindel following close behind in his avian form. She smiled to herself as the scorched earth below them turned into a lush green forest that blanketed Mount Hyjal.

'_Well done Tyriah, he will prove most useful to our cause…_' a voice whispered deep within her head. Tyriah nodded to herself as an acknowledgement to the voice from within her head, nudging her drake to begin his decent towards the stone ruins surrounding the nearby Barrow Dens.

* * *

"What is the problem Shad'ara?" Lur'kai asked in a strict tone.

Shad'ara remained silent, her back facing Lur'kai as she felt a sharp pain of sadness in her heart. Just a few moments before they were having a heated argument that ended up with them embracing, their lips locked into a kiss.

"I-it's nothing…" she said finally, looking upwards towards the small patch of sunlight.

"If it was nothing, you wouldn't be acting like this…" Lur'kai hissed.

Shad'ara sighed, moving her arms to rest on her waist, her fingers intertwined with each other.

"I-It just feels strange…" she murmured her voice hitching as she held back tears.

"What does?" Lur'kai asked with a soft tone.

Shad'ara sighed once more before turning to face Lur'kai, crystalline tears,

"Starting a new relationship… Somehow it feels too soon…" she answered in a quiet whisper.

Lur'kai remained silent, his jaw stiff, and his eyes dim, watching as Shad'ara used her sleeve to wipe away the tears on her cheeks, leaving behind soft pink marks where they had sat.

"I see…" he murmured "You are still thinking of _him_…" Lur'kai muttered, referring to Valdimirr. Lur'kai wiped his mouth as if something vile lingered upon them before turning his back to Shad'ara.

"Lur'kai?" Shad'ara hiccupped "Where are you going?" she asked in a more even tone.

He paused, gazing over his shoulder,

"I'm going back to Silvermoon, I am sure you can handle this task on your own…" he hissed before beginning to walk back towards the Druid encampment.

With a sigh, Shad'ara watched as Lur'kai's form walked away from her before disappearing behind some thick shrubs. Rubbing her forearms as if a cold breeze brushed against her, Shad'ara moved the opposite way Lur'kai headed, moving towards the path leading down and away from the World Tree.

* * *

Tyriah turned to Zaerindel and held up her hand for him to wait where he was before approaching the two Druids that had came to meet them as they touched the ground of the ruins of an ancient Night Elven city. She exchanged a few hushed words with them, gesturing towards Zaerindel; one of the Druids nodding before brushing passed Tyriah, moving towards Zaerindel, his bulky form stopping a few feet ahead of him. His face was hidden behind a helm partially charred that matched his armor.

"Welcome to the group young Druid… I am Pyrion Moonflare," the Druid announced before giving a sweeping bow.

Zaerindel returned the bow, looking to Tyriah who was speaking with the other Druid, occasionally nodding at what she said.

"We will take you to our leader; he rests deep within the Barrows…" Pyrion murmured Bringing Zaerindel's attention back to the Druid in front of him.

The female Druid moved towards Zaerindel, grabbing a hold of his shoulder to guide him towards the barrow,

"We cannot enter the barrows unfortunately, for we have already begun our training, you can however…" the female added.

"Understood" Zaerindel replied "but how will I make it through the barrows?" he asked.

"You will just have to listen to the call of nature," Tyriah said as she placed her hand over Zaerindel's heart.

The two druids stopped walking just short of some pillars marking the path to the barrows. Pyrion turned to Zaerindel and handed him a vial made of violet glass, a dark liquid swirling within.

"Our leader has devised a test for all knew druids joining our circle, it is required that you drink this elixir so you will be able to begin your test…" he explained.

Zaerindel examined the vial, pulling the crystal stopper out to smell the elixir; he picked up the sweet traces of Sungrass and the pungent odor of Ghost Mushroom causing him to furrow his brow.

"An invisibility potion?" he asked with a brow raised.

Pyrion nodded, placing a hand on Zaerindel's shoulder,

"The test is to get by the defenses of the barrow unscathed…" Pyrion explained.

Zaerindel eyed the elixir again, feeling his throat tighten as he became overtaken by his nerves. He took a deep breath and brought the vial to his lips drowning the liquid in one big sip, his form beginning to vanish from the mortal plane.

"Go on now, the potion only lasts for a few short minutes…" Tyriah muttered as she nodded off in the direction of the barrows.

Zaerindel felt light as air as he brushed passed the two female Barrow guardians at the entrance, walking through the twisting tunnels as he went deeper under the ground. Roots hung from the ceiling, occasionally dripping water into large underground pools. He paused right before a large archway covered in thick roots and ivy, seeing a lone guard unconscious beside a shallow pool wrapped tightly in charred roots where a dais rested in the center under a beam of silvery light.

"So, you are the Druid I sensed walking though these decrepit barrows…" a deep masculine voice echoed.

Zaerindel looked around the room until his eyes rested on a figure lingering in the Shadows, he wore similar armor to the Druids he and Tyriah met, but instead of the orange markings running thought the charred wood, it was indigo, almost violet.

"Y-Yes sir… I was sent to meet you… I was told that you could train me to be better in the ways of a Druid…" Zaerindel answered, his voice showing signs of fear.

The Druid leader laughed quietly, walking towards Zaerindel, keeping away from the beam of moonlight that shined into the musty chamber.

"And you believed them?" he asked with a slight chuckle in his voice "Do you even know who I am boy?" the Druid asked.

Zaerindel flinched as the Druid reached up to touch his helm,

"N-No sir…" he murmured.

The Druid became engulfed in flames, his form seeming to change as the flames died down, before him was a Night elf with red skin and eyes blazing like fire. His entire outfit seemed to change as well, amber marks decorated his bare chest, a mantle made of charred orange feathers rested upon his broad shoulders; he looked nearly like a fire elemental in human form. Zaerindel slowly backed away as he recognized the Druid in front of him.

"I am Fandral Staghelm…" he boomed, sending out a wave of flaming vines to grab at Zaerindel to prevent him from fleeing "You are now property of the Flame Druid coven, I am your master and you will answer to me and Lord Ragnaros!" he added with a hiss, clenching his fist to have the flaming vines drag Zaerindel by his ankles towards him.

"Let me go!" Zaerindel shouted "I will not turn my back on the Circle!" he shrieked.

Fandral laughed, his voice echoing around the chamber,

"Oh, but you already have boy, by listening to the Twilight Dragon, _Tyriah_ you have turned your back on Azeroth!" Fandral said before striking Zaerindel over the head, knocking the young Druid unconscious.

* * *

Shad'ara found herself in a grove surrounded by flowering trees and plants, in the center a large Moonwell rested under a bright beam of moonlight, wisps gathering all around the pool. It took her a few days to reach the grove due to being pleaded to help at the various shrines located around the sacred mountain, also due to her keeping her mana supplies up, she didn't want to risk losing control of herself. Upon resting on a white stone bench by what acted as an outdoor inn, Shad'ara heaved a heavy sigh, drinking from a water skin containing some water from a sparkling stream. She knew it was run off of the hidden Well of Eternity, but it was diluted enough not to cause too much harm.

"…I am sure it was him," mewed a soft voice that seemed familiar to her.

"How can you be sure it wasn't a trick to get you to follow after them where the wretches can tempt you into joining them?" barked a burly Night elf druid with large antlers protruding out of his sage green hair.

Shad'ara gazed upwards towards the Druids engaged in their heated conversation. Her eyes going wide upon recognition of the female Kaldorei in front of her, her sister Lefra was in Hyjal. Shad'ara pushed herself to her feet, making her way over to the druids, hoping they could at least sense her standing behind them.

"I ought to know my brother when I see him!" Lefra hissed.

The male druid sighed heavily before resting his eyes on Shad'ara, nodding to Lefra that she had someone who wished to speak with her. As Lefra turned, her eyes became wide and she pulled her younger sister into a tight hug, tears draping down her cheeks.

"Oh Shad'ara…" Lefra cried "it's terrible!" she added through her frantic sobs.

Shad'ara pulled out of her sister's embrace, wiping her sister's tears as she calmed the Kaldorei, Brushing a few stray strands of silver hair out of her sister's face as she waited for the tears to cease.

"What is terrible, Lefra…" Shad'ara asked once her sister had stilled her tears to small hiccups.

"It is Zaerin… I saw him..." she said frantically "He turned to the Druids of the Flame!" she added, throwing her hands up into the air.

"That sounds bad Lefra, but I don't know who these Flame Druids are…" Shad'ara replied with a brow slightly raised.

Lefra sighed, motioning for her sister to follow until they were at the border of the grove and the vast meadow ahead of them.

"The Druids of the Flame did this… They burn Hyjal to the ground in the name of the Elemental lord Ragnaros and the Twilight's Hammer!" Lefra explained, her near feline teeth gritting.

Shad'ara felt her heart dropped, she felt like she failed her parents upon the news of her brother becoming part of the very forces trying to bring on the end of the world, the very forces that her aunt, Iradari joined when the first skirmished broke out.

"I thought he was resilient, I mean he is very hard to convince…" Shad'ara murmured.

Lefra heaved a heavy sigh,

"That is what we thought of Aunt Ira, remember?" Lefra said in a slight whisper "The Twilight's Hammer have very seductive whispers for being heralds of the Old Gods, they can woo anyone to join their cause…" Lefra added, turning away from the meadow.

"Where did you last see him?" Shad'ara asked, watching her sister kneel down at the Moonwell, raising her hands in a prayer as she became bathed in moonlight.

"I saw him in one of the Twilight's Hammer camps to the south with some other Flame Druids; I was spying on their movements in my cat form… They were conversing with a cloaked female standing next to an enthralled Blood Elf…" Lefra answered as she rose to her feet.

Shad'ara nodded and moved towards the stone bench she was sitting at when she first entered the grove, grabbing up her things and looking to her map. She found the location of the Twilight's Hammer camp and tapped it before turning to face her sister.

"I'm going to go find him, to try and see if I can sway him…" She murmured.

Lefra's eyes went wide with fear; she took in a sharp intake of breath as she frantically shook her head,

"No Shad'ara, it is too dangerous!" Lefra said, reaching for her sister "Remember what happened in the Plaguelands…" she added as she turned her body to follow as Shad'ara walked on the opposite side of the Moonwell.

"That is different Lefra, I am a lot stronger now, and I have a score to settle with the Twilight's Hammer… They took too much from us already!" Shad'ara said with a slight growl, her eyes turning slightly demonic.

"Y-You're a warlock?" Lefra gasped.

Shad'ara remained silent and tossed a coin to the Stable Master to rent a Nightsaber. As Shad'ara mounted the great feline, she felt one with nature, looking over to her sister; she saw her murmuring something in Darnassian. Lefra had placed a Blessing of the Wild upon her. She snapped the reins and with a roar, the Nightsaber broke off into a run, heading south where the camp was located.

"Be safe Shad'ara, may the ancients protect you..." Lefra murmured to herself.

* * *

'_How could a woman such as her have such an effect on me?!_' Lur'kai thought as he paced the Druid encampment. He couldn't find the strength to leave the mountain, choosing to stay where he was, practically carving a rut into the floor.

Lur'kai would get up the strength to move towards the portal to Orgrimmar, but as he would reach out to enter the portal, he would receive nagging thoughts that would pull him back into the inn and begin his pacing. Giving up on his routine, Lur'kai growled to himself and plopped down onto the bed he rented from the Druids, gripping his head with his hands, some his red-orange hair caught in-between his fingers.

'_I don't think I've ever felt you so stressed over a simple mortal woman Lur'kai…_' murmured Kai'goril, Lur'kai's Inner Demon.

'_Oh shut up you wretched demon!_' Lur'kai hissed.

Releasing his head, Lur'kai sat straight, gazing out at the magical lake that the Inn sat halfway over, it seemed to have soothed his inner turmoil, allowing him to think clearly as he watched wisps and other critters inhabiting under the World Tree. Another reason could be the great Aspect Ysera being roughly fifteen feet away from him. He thought back to his little episode with Shad'ara which led to their hearted kiss which ended with him becoming sour with her as he realized that she still thought about her late mate. With a heavy sigh, Lur'kai rose to his feet, gathering up his supplies in a light rucksack, tucking it under his bed before heading towards the door, he didn't know where she was, but he bet that looking for her from the skies would be easy.

'_Alright you damn demon of mine, it is time to stretch your legs…_' Lur'kai thought to his Inner Demon as he moved out of sight, knowing how the Druid felt about demons. With one near silent phrase in Demonic, Lur'kai's form began to grow, his skin changing to the hue of his Inner Demon's, growths along his back for his wings, and his robes stretching to match his new girth and height.

'_It is about time you called me little elf, being stuck in your subconscious does not help the joints…_' Kai'goril teased as he took control. Lur'kai hissed at his Inner Demon before leaping into the skies, weaving his way through the roots of Nordrassil as he beat his demonic wings to bring him higher into the sky at a comfortable altitude.


	19. Preparing to Asault on the Twilight Camp

I don't know how it happened, I typed out 5 pages in an hour and I didn't have anything planned out o.0 Please check out my profile for the "Ask the Cast" thing I'm doing :)

* * *

"Alright, give me a few days to decipher these notes and I shall have the answers…" Garion said as he gathered a thick stack of parchment.

Hagus nodded slightly, pushing himself up from the bench he sat on, smoothing the creases out of his robes before turning towards the door,

"I will pay you once you have the answers…" He said in a low tone before leaving the Arcane Academy.

Hagus rubbed the back of his neck, stretching the tight muscles as he made his way towards the sanctum. He wanted to speak with Shad'ara before he headed back to the inn he stayed at to rest, and perhaps receive another vision. He paused in the main room, his eyes scanning the area, not seeing Shad'ara anywhere.

"Can I help you?" purred a soft feminine voice.

Hagus turned to face the female who he sensed standing behind him, her hair was in a disheveled tail; some strands of hair hanging loose from its binds.

"I was looking for Shad'ara… I wanted to speak with her…" Hagus replied.

The female sighed,

"I am afraid that she isn't here, she left for an errand about a week ago with her master… I can leave a message for her…" the female replied.

"No thank you, I will just wait for her to return," Hagus said, holding up his hand "Do you know when she'll be back?" he asked.

The female turned away from Hagus after shrugging her shoulders,

"I'm sorry, I wasn't given very much information, and you may want to ask Master Violet that… She is in the office," the female muttered as she began soothing an acolyte who clearly had a mental breakdown over something.

With a sigh, Hagus turned to look around the Sanctum,

"No thanks, I'll try again some other time…" Hagus muttered before turning towards the exit, the jumbled words of the acolyte who was having a mental breakdown reaching his ears.

* * *

Zaerindel entered the Twilight camp with two enthralled Cenarion Druids surrounded in flaming chains following behind him, he paused at the prison keeper, handing the chains over and ridding himself of the pathetic druids he snagged near the ruined Shrine of Malorne. He had never felt so invigorated before, with an easy flick of his wrist, he could set a meadow aflame.

"Zaerindel, the Twilight matron wants to speak with you…" uttered a shadowed voice, bringing Zaerindel to the world around him. In front of him was a short human male wearing the garb of the Twilight's hammer, his eyes violet, and flickering like the torches surrounding the camp.

With a heavy sigh, Zaerindel nodded at the Cultist, his eyes scanning the camp for wherever the Twilight Matron might be located. He caught sight of a Twilight Dragon land and shift into a humanoid form before approaching a tent that he guessed was where the matron was located, for all Twilight Dragons reported to the Matron and Patrons of the camps.

The Matron was shrouded in shadows, an Elementium ribcage pulsed in an amethyst aura as the gentle breeze that played with her tattered violet robes started to pick up as another Twilight Dragon started to descend. Zaerindel bowed his head slightly as he was within arm's length of the matron, looking to the two Twilight Dragons standing at attention behind her.

"Zaerindel, our newest addition to our cause…" purred the matron "I have a task for you to handle with Nyx…" she added, turning to a Twilight Dragon in the guise of a male Night Elf, his indigo hair shifting in the breeze.

"What would you have me do, matron?" Zaerindel asked.

The Matron's black lips twisted into a wicked smile before conjuring Elementium chains enveloped in the same aura her Elementium ribcage projected; at the end of the chains was a small Blood elf with brunette hair. She was malnourished to the point of being a skeleton, her face thin and eyes sunken.

"This is Nikita; she needs to undergo the ritual of ascendency , but I am afraid there are no reagents in the camp that the ritual requires…" the Matron explained "I will need some samples of the air dwelling creatures of the wretched mountain, along with some captured thunder from the rise overlooking the Shrine of Lo'gosh. Nyx will be your transportation and guardian for this journey…" the Matron added.

Zaerindel nodded and looked to Nyx, seeing his eyes take on a draconic aspect before his form began to grow, his blue skin and hair becoming the scaly hide of his true form. Nyx's transformation didn't take as long as any normal dragon's form shift, Zaerindel's first thought was due to his egg going under mutations before becoming a Twilight Dragon. Nyx looked to the other Twilight Dragon, a female night elf draped in amethyst with blazing amber eyes. His gaze seemed to soften before lowering his head for the female to caress his head.

"You two can do that later!" the matron snapped "You have a task to do Nyx!" she hissed once more as an Elementium lash snapped against Nyx's torso.

"Sorry mistress…" Nyx and the female murmured in unison, their voices causing a chill to snake up Zaerindel's spine.

Nyx looked to Zaerindel before lowering his front legs in a kneel to allow the Flame Druid to climb onto his back, waiting for the Druid to situate himself before beating his wings to rise from the ground. Zaerindel was caught in awe on how swift the Twilight Dragon was, he ridden on the back of a few Emerald drakes in the past, but none were nearly as swift as Nyx.

"The mistress requires the sacred feathers of the birds that inhabit the sanctuary of the Night elven ancient goddess, Aviana… I will bring you up high enough for you to snag a tail feather from the birds… try not to fall…" Nyx said as a large tree housing bird nests came into view.

"What if the druids come to defend the birds?" Zaerindel asked.

Nyx chuckled darkly, flexing his razor sharp obsidian claws before turning his head enough to gaze at the Flame Druid perched at the base of his neck,

"They can certainly try…" Nyx muttered, ceasing his flight to hover in midair, an ivory colored bird with druidic beads decorating its form.

"Grab it before it gets out of range!" Nyx hissed as the bird flew closer, oblivious to the Twilight Dragon and his Flame Druid companion.

Zaerindel reached out for the bird, managing to grab its leg to pull to close enough to rip one of its tail feathers out. It screeched in both fright and pain before Zaerindel released the bird, hearing the Twilight Dragon sigh heavily as he noticed a Druid of the Talon flying towards them with its talons outstretched.

"You are lucky we have what we came for, otherwise your tactical methods will doom us all…" Nyx hissed as he turned towards the Twilight Camp for the rest of the reagents the matron required, the Druid of the Talon that came to attack falling from the sky with a ripped gut.

* * *

Shad'ara located a rise to overlook the Twilight camp that Lefra had told her about; she saw various cultists scurrying around, some carrying Twilight Dragon eggs from one tent to another; Most importantly, a shadowy figure scrying from a violet orb with a dazed Blood elf next to her.

"Aunt Ira…" Shad'ara hissed to herself, feeling her rage beginning to boil within her, making her Inner Demon stir within her subconscious.

'_Come on, you can take her… in a matter of fact, you can take that whole camp. All you have to do is assume my form and you'll be invincible!_' her Inner demon cooed from within her mind.

"Not a chance!" Shad'ara hissed "I will not become your tool Shi'zara… I have come too far to become a slave of my own mind!" she added in a low whisper.

Shi'zara chuckled before slipping back into the darkness of her host's subconscious. Sighing in relief for keeping her control, Shad'ara moved towards where she had set up camp, looking to her satchel where she kept her supplies and rations as her belly rumbled.

Managing to find some near stale spice bread and aged cheddar, Shad'ara sat on a moss covered stone, studying her map as she munched on her meal and thought up a good plan to enter the camp unscathed.

"Let's see, I noticed they have several guards posted, some being Twilight Dragon foot soldiers…" Shad'ara murmured to herself before taking a small bite out of her cheese.

The sound of beating wings brought Shad'ara's attention to the sky, expecting a Twilight Dragon or an adventurer flying overhead. Instead all she was able to make out was a silhouetted form due to the sun backlighting the figure. Shad'ara swore to herself thinking it was a Twilight Sentry from the camp below that might have spotted her. She dove for her staff that lay by her feet and held brandished it, a fel ember flickering in her opposite hand. The figure looked more demonic than draconic. It was green with teal hued armor and blazing orange orbs for eyes. Was this what green dragons looked like when they became mutated with the dark energies the Twilight's Hammer possessed?

"Stay back!" she hissed.

The figure didn't head her warning and continued to land; Shad'ara had no choice but to release her spell. But it flickered off of the figure as if it were nothing. The only thing she managed to accomplish was a sharp sigh from the figure.

"You really need to work on your Chaos Bolt acolyte…" the figure sighed.

Shad'ara's jaw nearly dropped as she took a better look at the figure, recognizing the chiseled jaw that Lur'kai had, as well as the voice, which was slightly demonic. Shad'ara lowered her staff, drinking in the features of the demonic creature had. She recognized the Demon the figure took, it resembled a Wrath guard.

"Lur'kai?" Shad'ara asked with a raised brow.

The demon nodded and stepped towards her, feeling relieved of not getting another chaos bolt to the chest.

"I thought you left for Silvermoon… Why are you here?" Shad'ara asked in a near whisper.

Lur'kai sighed, reaching out to take Shad'ara's forearm, his burning gaze fixed onto hers,

"I was going to leave for Silvermoon, but you caused me to hesitate!" he hissed slightly "You're lucky I came after you at all considering you are planning to assault a major Twilight's Hammer camp by the looks of it!" he added.

Shad'ara's cheeks burned in embarrassment, breaking her gaze away from Lur'kai's orange demonic eyes.

"I-I learned some troubling news…" she said as she looked to her feet "My brother became a Flame Druid and was sighted in this camp by my sister who was scouting the wilds…" Shad'ara added.

Lur'kai let out a sharp sigh, releasing her forearm so he could cross his arms.

"So you were going to assault a major encampment filled to the brim with Twilight Dragons, arch-cultists, and ascendants?!" Lur'kai asked in annoyance.

Shad'ara shamefully nodded, feeling Lur'kai's demonic claws grab her chin to have her look him in the eye

"That's suicide you stupid woman!" he snapped "Why don't you use your instincts for once and wait for your brother to leave the camp and approach him when he isn't surrounded by his powerful allies!" Lur'kai added as his other hand gripped her shoulder.

Shad'ara felt guilt rise up in her chest as her master reprimanded her; she thought he was intimidating in his normal form, but as a demon his intimidation was increased ten-fold.

"It is because my aunt Ira is there, most likely the head of the camp and she needs to answer for that she has done!" Shad'ara replied with a hiss, her eyes taking on a demonic appearance.

Lur'kai sighed and gripped her other shoulder before pulling her close to embrace her, his wings wrapping around her like a security blanket.

"You have to be the most determined woman I know…" Lur'kai murmured "and that is saying a lot due to what I have to deal with back at the Sanctum…" He added as he looked down to Shad'ara.

Their embrace was interrupted by a distorted draconic roar sounding over head. Lur'kai and Shad'ara looking towards the sky as a large indigo Twilight Dragon flew passed the overlook they were at, descending towards the Twilight camp with a Flame Druid with violet tresses perched upon its back.

"Zaerin-"Shad'ara tried to call out but a demonic hand clasped over her mouth to keep them from being discovered.

"Shhh!" Lur'kai growled "Do you really want to take on a full grown Twilight Dragon and a Flame Druid?!" he hissed.

Shad'ara let out some muffled grunts before Lur'kai released her mouth.

"Good, let us observe what is transpiring below, maybe we can find a weakness in their defenses due to the Twilight Dragon arriving at the camp…" Lur'kai muttered as he sank to a crouch, Shad'ara following suit as he moved towards some bushes growing at the edge of the cliff.

Lur'kai draped one of his wings over Shad'ara's form as she settled next to her master as they observed the activity of the camp; Shad'ara watched as Zaerindel approached a shadow-draped figure she guessed to be her aunt with feathers and several jars filled with something. Beside her was a male Night elf with indigo hair with a female standing close to him as they watched the Flame Druid exchange the items with the woman.

"I see jars filled with what seems to be a storm brewing within…" Lur'kai muttered as he used his demonic sight to obtain a closer look.

"Any hints of weakness?" Shad'ara asked in a low voice.

Lur'kai remained quiet as his gaze looked around the camp,

"No, it seems the guards are vigilant, our best bet is to find some cultists in one of the smaller camps and steal their robes to sneak in…" Lur'kai answered with a sigh "I've seen a small camp near a shrine containing very few cultists… that will be our best bet…" Lur'kai added as he crawled backwards out of the cover of the bushes.

"Very well, I guess we have little choice…" Shad'ara muttered as she followed after her master who was walking towards where she kept her satchel.

* * *

I am sorry for any typos, my word program has been having a min


	20. Assult on the Twilight's Hammer Camp

Sorry for the wait, my birthday was on Sunday and I had spent all weekend with friends and family. I hope you enjoy this one... this chapter is literally 10 pages long 0.0

Also, someone asked me a question a while back on how long this sotry is going to be and why. the reason for that is it is basically two stories in one, and I am going to try an push for 30 chapters

* * *

A knock on the door disturbed Hagus's concentration, a vision he had been working hard to see left flickering away as he rose to his feet with a heavy sigh. He straightened his robes before yanking the open the door to his room slightly, startling a lanky elf dressed as a city courier.

"Yes, what is it you want?" Hagus said with a slight growl. He didn't mean to sound hostile, but He had worked for nearly an hour to conjure a vision to his mind.

The courier gulped before reaching into a large satchel hanging over his shoulder to unearth a letter neatly folded and sealed with black wax baring an odd seal.

"I-I was just told to deliver this letter to you…" the courier stuttered as he handed it to Hagus, bowing his head slightly before beginning to back away from the intimidating elf.

With a heavy sigh, Hagus flicked a gold piece towards the courier before closing the door behind him, looking to the letter to examine the seal. It seemed familiar but none of his memories would tell him where he saw it before. Maybe it was from Garion? Could the mage have already deciphered his visions? Hagus didn't know, so with yet another heavy sigh, Hagus used a sharp fingernail to tear open the seal. He read the letter a few times before crumbling it and tossing it to the side, moving to where he kept his cloak and satchel.

"Thangorg, I am going out exploring…" Hagus muttered towards his demonic minion as he fastened his cloak and draping his satchel over his shoulder, his grimoire resting snuggly within.

As Hagus walked down the corridor of the inn that would connect to the staircase that would take him below to the main hall, he began to ponder on the script of the letter. It was cryptic like his visions, written in demonic too… He wondered what it could mean.

'_Go to the ruined town of Suncrown in what is now the Ghostlands, there you will find a decaying home along the Elrendar River that will contain answers in uncovering your path… Hagoril…'_

That passage is what disturbed Hagus the most, why did the author of the letter call him Hagoril? Hagus knew he would have to find this old home, he wanted to see if this place the letter described actually held some answers to unlocking his past. Hagus pulled out the map Shad'ara had made for him nearly a year ago, looking over the Eastern Kingdoms to locate the area known as the Ghostlands. Once he located it, he called upon his demonic steed, wasting no time in mounting it and snapping the reins, causing it to snort before breaking off into a run.

* * *

"Do see a way in?" Shad'ara asked, watching the cultists of the tiny Twilight's Hammer encampment.

Lur'kai who was back in his normal form, sighed before looking to Shad'ara his eyes becoming bright.

"The eye saw one opening," Lur'kai said as he gestured to the demonic eye he used to scout ahead "but we will have to take down the Cultist guarding it… luckily it is a human and not an Orc or Troll…" Lur'kai added as he tucked a rounded fel crystal into his robe pocket.

Shad'ara nodded and reached for her staff, using it to push herself straight. As she went to move towards the camp, Lur'kai caught hold of her shoulder, tugging her slightly backwards.

"Allow me, your Chaos bolt needs work, who knows about your other spells…" he muttered as he reached for his staff, which to Shad'ara's interest was nothing more than a scythe… strange how someone of demonology would had a weapon that those of Affliction would wield. Unless…

"You study Affliction?" Shad'ara asked in a low voice.

Lur'kai flinched before turning to face Shad'ara,

"I had no choice when I first started out…" Lur'kai replied "I didn't start studying demonology until after my father died and I was taken under Kirameki's wing…" he added as he returned his gaze towards the camp "I know how you feel about it, that is why I wanted to keep it a secret from you…" he added once more.

Shad'ara sighed,

"It is fine, unlike Hagus; I knew you longer and know you wouldn't use it in any way to harm innocents…" Shad'ara replied, placing a gentle hand upon Lur'kai's shoulder.

Lur'kai remained silent before summoning a mixture of shadow and fel fire to his palms, creating a bolt about the size of Shad'ara's head before unleashing it towards the camp, knocking the guard on the outer parameter of the encampment off of his feet, the spell eating away at him while he screeched in pain.

"Damn," Shad'ara said as she watched as the other cultists ran to their guard "What did you do?" she asked, looking towards Lur'kai who wore an emotionless mask.

"It is a special spell of my own making… it is a mixture of the Agony spell and the Chaos Bolt… with a few other special touches…" he answered before leaping forward, his demonic form activated as his scythe was at the ready.

Shad'ara ran afterwards after watching in awe as Lur'kai tore through the cultists like practice dummies, his scythe becoming splattered in red and black blood. She passed the unfortunate cultist guard who was nothing more than a pile of bones, fel flames licking away at what was left of his flesh, almost making Shad'ara sick to the stomach at the thought of her ever learning that spell.

"Start gathering the robes for our disguises…" Lur'kai muttered in demonic as he held a cultist by the front of his robes with his demonic claws, his side bleeding a little.

Shad'ara looked down to the cultists strewn around the camp; their robes not as bloody as she thought after Lur'kai's rampage. She caught eye of a journal clutched in the hands of an elven cultist, her attention moving away from the task that Lur'kai had given her to read the journal. It was written in Kalimag, the language of the Elementals.

At first, it was hard for Shad'ara to decipher the text since technically only Shaman and mages knew how to speak the language, but due to her time with Valdimirr. She managed to translate the first sentence of the journal before she noticed Lur'kai standing beside her, holding his side as blood seeped through his fingers.

"If you are finished lollygagging…" He said before sinking to his knees, his form shrinking back to his humanoid form.

Shad'ara turned her gaze to Lur'kai's wound, discarding the journal to rest her hands over the tear in his robes, applying pressure to cease the bleeding.

"I'm sorry, this journal seemed important…" she muttered.

Lur'kai sighed heavily before hissing in pain as Shad'ara applied more pressure to his wound,

"Dig around my satchel for a healing potion, I will try to stop you from bleeding out…" Shad'ara said as she nodded towards her satchel hanging from her belt.

"What did the journal say?" Lur'kai asked as he reached for her satchel, digging around for a vial containing a healing potion.

"I only managed to translate the first sentence…" she replied "it talked about some sort of ritual that required some reagents… some being live sacrifices…" Shad'ara added as she moved one of her hands to grab the vial that Lur'kai held.

Lur'kai's hands moved back to his wound as she removed the seal, smelling the potion for a moment.

"Twilight Jasmine…" Shad'ara muttered before she handed the potion to Lur'kai, "drink up, this is a strong potion," she added, wiping her hands clean of Lur'kai's blood.

With one big gulp, Lur'kai downed the potion, shuddering a little before handing the empty vial back to Shad'ara.

"Why did you smell the potion?" Lur'kai asked after he swallowed the potion.

Shad'ara held back a chuckle,

"It is something my father taught me, he said when in a hurry, just smell the potion to determine its type and strength…" Shad'ara answered as she resumed the task that Lur'kai gave her before finding the journal.

Lur'kai picked up the journal and stuffed it into his satchel before moving over to where a male cultist leaned against an Elementium pole, a thick cut across his neck from Lur'kai's scythe.

"We have to move quickly before any couriers or scouts come to this camp…" Lur'kai said as he began removing the robe from the cultist.

Shad'ara remained silent as she too, removed the robe from the cultist that once held the journal she found.

* * *

"Ugh, there is nothing but ruined furniture!" Hagus growled as he slammed his fist against a moss covered wall "I see no evidence here that can unlock my past!" he growled once more.

Hagus kicked aside a piece of wood that either belonged to a table or a chair, causing it to fly forward and hit a ruined bookshelf containing moldy books. It groaned a bit before collapsing, causing a cloud of dust to rise, Hagus swearing in the process.

"What are you doing here?" asked a familiar voice.

Hagus turned to face the newcomer, only to see Garion.

"I was told to come here…" Hagus replied, crossing his arms.

"And what?" Garion asked in a sharp tone "destroy the place?!" he added with a growl "This is the home where I grew up before the Scourge Invasion!" he hissed.

Hagus raised his hands to calm the mage,

"Easy there… I mean no harm…" Hagus muttered in attempt to sooth Garion.

"Yet, you go and destroy an antique bookshelf that has been in my family for seven generations!" Garion hissed as he brushed past Hagus, slamming into his shoulder against his before he knelt down to the bookshelf, stroking it as if it were a precious child.

"It was old and decrepit…" Hagus muttered, hoping Garion didn't hear.

"Doesn't matter, it was the only thing left standing in this place, I was trying to fix it up but then I got swamped with a damn task to decipher visions of a crazed elf!" Garion hissed.

Hagus felt his rage beginning to rise within from Garion's insult. It was rare for him to get angered by something like this.

"Why are you here anyway?" Hagus asked, his arms crossing once more.

Garion gazed over his shoulder at Hagus before heaving a heavy sigh, pushing himself up, before turning to face the warlock.

"The same reason you are here…" Garion answered.

Hagus's jaw nearly dropped,

"But I am here to supposedly uncover more about my past…" Hagus replied "What about you?" Hagus asked.

Garion sighed, resting a hand on his chin in thought,

"What did this letter say?" Garion asked.

With a sigh, Hagus cleared his throat,

"It said that if I want to uncover more about my past while I wait for the mage I hired, I should come here to Suncrown Village… whomever wrote it also called me Hagoril… the letter was also in demonic…" Hagus replied.

Garion thought for a moment, pacing in front of the ruined bookshelf before pausing to dig through his satchel.

"That reminds me, speaking of past… I deciphered half of the visions…" Garion muttered as he moved to hand Hagus the stack of parchment. As their fingers touched, an electrical shock ran up their arms, causing Garion to recoil to nurse his arm.

"What was that?" Garion asked as he examined his fingers, but Hagus was caught in a trance, his eyes blank, and his skin losing all color as he just stood there, frozen.

Garion raised a brow at the warlock, before attempting to break him out of his trance, but as soon as he touched him, he felt the electrical shock once more and instead of it disappearing like it did before; it caused Garion to enter that same trance, his memories being brought to life.

* * *

Lur'kai and Shad'ara managed to enter the main camp without any problems. To make their disguises more convincing, they took one of the prisoners kept at the small camp they assaulted, keeping her at the end of Elementium chains. The robes they wore seemed to keep the Elementium itself from reacting to their auras which was good. But Shad'ara began to feel like getting into the camp was too easy. But it was also easy to let doubts like these to cloud the mind, so Shad'ara just brushed it away and followed Lur'kai over t where they kept the prisoners.

"Do see anything important?" Lur'kai whispered in demonic once the helpless prisoner was placed within her Elementium cage.

Shad'ara shook her head as she took notice of a small form of a cultist approaching them.

"Did you two just return from a scouting trip?" the cultist asked, the voice identifying that it was a male.

"Yes, we brought back that pitiful night elf druid…" Lur'kai answered.

The cultist nodded turning aside to point towards a small incline that held a large tent,

"The Matron wants to speak with you about another mission… she says it is urgent," the cultist explained.

Lur'kai nodded and gestured for Shad'ara to follow. The cultists following close behind as they made their way towards the Matron of the camp. Torches and braziers holding violet flames lined the path, along with some smaller tents containing odd devices and a few Twilight Dragon eggs. Once they reached the top of the incline, they both noticed that nearly half of the area held a large tent that if they looked well enough, they could see another batch of Twilight Dragon eggs. The Matron herself stood in front of an orb, channeling an invisible energy while three Flame Druids stood at attention behind her.

"Matron, your requested cultists are here…" muttered the male Cultist that came to fetch them supposedly.

The Matron ceased in whatever she was doing, setting fierce red eyes upon Lur'kai and Shad'ara before flashing a wicked smile. She raised her hand slightly, her fingers dangling before she flicked them upward, the bones of her wrist making some crackling sounds. Shad'ara felt a force hit her square in the chest, she struggled to keep herself standing straight, but as for Lur'kai, it was no easy task. He was stiff and occasionally a sound would escape his gritted teeth. It wasn't before long that the force disappeared entirely, the matron smiled viciously at them.

"It is so good to see your Shad'ara…" the Matron cooed.

Shad'ara was caught by surprise; the Twilight Matron had somehow removed their disguises under their noses. And they were surrounded by Cultists, Twilight Dragons, and Flame Druids alike.

"Aunt Iradari…" Shad'ara growled "I would have never expected you to be here…" Shad'ara lied.

Iradari chuckled, using some sort of energy to bring Shad'ara's chin upwards as if she were looking down upon her,

"Don't lie to me girl, you knew I was here," she hissed "You know I have eyes and ears everywhere…" she added as she released the energy before turning to a Flame Druid with violet hair and blazing amber eyes.

"Don't be rude now… say hello to your older sister…" she said to him.

The Flame druid remained silent, but once his eyes met Shad'ara's fel green eyes, she felt her heart drop, her body beginning to tense up.

"N-No…" she muttered "Lefra was right…" she added as tears began to swell in her eyes, blurring her vision.

"It was a necessary change my dear, he was far too weak to survive out here…" Iradari said "I helped him by sending a dear friend of mine to bring him to the Flame Druids…" she added, gesturing over to where three Night elves stood their eyes inhuman, marking them as Twilight Dragons.

Shad'ara felt as if her legs were about to crumble beneath her, until a green hand grabbed her at the waist, pulling her closer. It was Lur'kai, he had somehow transformed into Kai'goril. His orange eyes blazing in rage,

"Your poisoned words won't work on us witch!" Lur'kai hissed.

Iradari grinned,

"So, the demonic mentor finally speaks… I was getting bored speaking to only one of my guests," Iradari said with a slight dark chuckle.

Lur'kai's eyes flared as he too grinned, his demonic fangs barred.

"You think you have eyes and ears everywhere, claiming you are all knowing… but in truth, you only use that to weaken the morale of those you are trying to get at. True, Shad'ara might have been affected by seeing her younger brother tainted, but deep down she knows he didn't choose to become the way he is by choice…" Lur'kai added as his wings began spreading wide before crouching down to push himself upward, moving his other arm to support Shad'ara as he held her.

He held her tight with one arm while he raised one arm up into the air, calling upon fel fire to fall upon the Twilight camp, setting ablaze to the various tents that held the Twilight Dragon eggs, including the large one Iradari stood in front of.

"No!" Iradari roared before turning to the cultists and Flame Druids "Rescue the eggs at all costs, they must not perish!" she hissed before turning to her Twilight Dragons "attack!" she hissed at them. The Twilight Dragons nodding at the command as their forms began to grow to take on their dragon forms.

Lur'kai himself muttered something in demonic, calling forth two fiery boulders that landed over the Twilight Dragons stuck in their transformation, two infernal attacking the stunned dragons, Iradari roaring in rage at the elf in demon form.

"Now that your lackeys are busy, maybe you can actually fight… or maybe you aren't as powerful as you think?" Lur'kai teased as he called upon more demonic magic upon the camp.

"I'll show you power!" Iradari growled as her form began to glow a harsh violet, her hands becoming encased in Elementium, crystalline spikes growing out of her back, and violet fins sprouting forth from her skull. She was becoming an ascendant. Her eyes were no longer red, but violet while her hair took on a similar color.

She looked up to Lur'kai, sending violent tendrils of Elementium at him, hoping to snag the demonic elf, but he was too agile for the ascendant. He flew higher until he was a mere dot to the inhabitants in the camp, Iradari's roars of fury echoing in the wind as Lur'kai began to fly towards Nordrassil, with a miserable Shad'ara in his arms, clinging to the armor he wore on his upper torso.

* * *

Lur'kai took Shad'ara back to Silvermoon; he kept his face emotionless as he guided her to the Sanctum. Though at times it was like he was dragging her due her being emotionally broken at the moment. He resulted in carrying her in his arms once they reached the lower tier of the Royal Quarter of the city, earning some odd looks by some guards and bystanders exchanging hushed words with each other.

Violet was waiting outside the Sanctum when Lur'kai showed up; she was leaning against the archway that brought you down into the Sanctum itself.

"I sensed you arriving and wanted to tell you that Shad'ara has a visitor…" she muttered.

Lur'kai sighed,

"Shad'ara isn't exactly in the right mood to be seeing anyone; she needs some time alone…" Lur'kai replied "Can you tell them to come another time?" he asked.

Violet sighed,

"I tried explaining that to him, but he was persistent… If I were you, take Shad'ara someplace else to recover because this visitor will take some persuasion to leave once he sees Shad'ara…" Violet explained.

Lur'kai looked down to Shad'ara in his arms, who looked at him with a quivering lip. He sighed heavily, before turning away from the substitute leader of the Sanctum, making his way towards the Walk of Elders. He paused to let Shad'ara stand on her own feet as he dug around in his pocket for a key, taking up her hand and moving towards a door that was obviously his home. A sleek black feline mewing at him in aggravation from a plant balcony,

"Damn beast…" Lur'kai muttered in annoyance as he entered his home with Shad'ara, guiding her towards his living area before having her sit in a plush chair.

"Look Shad'ara… I know it is hurtful too see your brother a part of the enemy's team now… but you need to not let that effect you, it is exactly what your aunt wants…" he explained as he moved over to a doorway connecting to a small kitchen. Returning a few minutes later with a tray containing goblets and a crimson colored bottle

"Drink this; it will calm your nerves…" Lur'kai said in a near whisper, holding out a goblet for Shad'ara. She took it and held it with both hands and like a child, she took a small sip.

"What is this?" she asked in a low voice.

"Eversong wine…" Lur'kai replied after taking a large sip from his own goblet "I drink it whenever I have a stressful day at the Sanctum… it does wonders…" he added as he picked up the bottle to pour himself some more.

They drank in silence until the bottle was near empty, Shad'ara feeling much calmer now. Her face tingling and going numb in the process, as she went to reach for the bottle, but Lur'kai pulled it away,

"I think you had enough Shad'ara…" Lur'kai muttered, still fully coherent.

Shad'ara's head bobbed as she smiled "what do you mean I had enough… I feel great…" she said as she tried to reach for the bottle again, only this time, she felt out of the chair and began to laugh.

Lur'kai sighed and drowned the rest of his goblet before reaching down to grab onto Shad'ara who in turn fought him, forcing Lur'kai to place the bottle down onto a table beside where he sat before kneeling down to pull the drunk acolyte upwards.

"Stop fighting me Shad'ara!" Lur'kai hissed as Shad'ara continued her drunken bouts of laughter and squirming.

"I want some more of that wine…" Shad'ara said in a pleading tone.

"You're drunk!" Lur'kai snapped as he managed to pin down her wrists.

Shad'ara snickered, her eyes glazed over from the magical properties within the wine,

"I'm fine… Really!" Shad'ara said though her laughter.

Lur'kai sighed heavily and yanked Shad'ara it a sitting position, grabbing onto her chin to force her to look into his eyes,

"No you are not!" he hissed "the fact that you can't even keep yourself sitting upright without assistance and that is proof that you are drunk!" he added with a growl.

Shad'ara began to squirm once more, not out of trying to break herself free, but to prove that she was fine, when in reality, she wasn't.

Lur'kai released her chin and stood, letting Shad'ara fend for herself. She tried to grab onto the table that now held the wine bottle and Lur'kai's discarded goblet and struggled to pull herself to her feet. She managed to get to her knees before the table toppled over, the bottle falling to the floor and shattering, the remnants of the wine spilling, sending a strong fruity scent into the air.

Shad'ara broke out into laughter at the mess she made, earning a harsh sigh from Lur'kai who in turn yanked Shad'ara to her feet, holding onto her forearms in a tight grip.

"Now do you see that you aren't fine?" Lur'kai hissed.

"I-I meant to do that…" Shad'ara said as her voice began to slur.

"Sure you did…" Lur'kai said in annoyance before he let her go, allowing her to stand freely before she began to sway slowly, tumbling forward, her nose colliding into his chest, the force combined with her body weight nearly knocking Lur'kai back. Shad'ara gripped his robes and acted like she was pulling herself up, but she was still standing. Lur'kai grabbed onto her shoulders to steady her, his eyes watching her own as they were growing dim. And in one quick motion, their lips met, Shad'ara's hands moving up to tangle her fingers into his fire-red hair as his hands held her face.

* * *

Sorry for ending it the way I did, I had a hard time with this scene having to resort to asking what it is like to be drunk and such, the rest I improvised ^^;


	21. The Truth

I rather like this one, I hope you guys like it too.

* * *

Shad'ara awoke with a Skull-splitting headache. The early morning sun shined through gossamer crimson curtains hanging over the window and wherever she slept. The last thing she remembered the night before was sharing some wine with Lur'kai and that was it.

She pushed herself into a sitting position as best as she could due to her headache, only to realize that she was bare as a newborn. Then it occurred to her what had transpired. She looked over to her side to see Lur'kai sleeping soundly beside her. She covered her face with her hands groaning as everything came rushing back to her before gripping her head as a spike of pain shot through her head.

"By the light…" she muttered to herself before swinging her feet to the floor.

As best and as silently as she could, Shad'ara gathered up her clothing, managing to pull on her trousers and undershirt before she heard Lur'kai beginning to stir. She turned to face him just as he let out a long yawn and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. After stretching, Lur'kai seemed to notice that he wasn't alone, his eyes met hers and he quietly swore under his breath before falling backwards, an arm placed over his eyes as he too groaned.

"Trust me; this was just as much as a surprise to me as it is to you…" Shad'ara commented in a low voice.

Lur'kai sighed and removed his arm from his eyes, turning his head to look at her,

"You were heavily drunk… I was on my way to being drunk… that is it, we made a drunken mistake… this little tryst wasn't out of love… got it?" Lur'kai said in a grumpy tone.

Shad'ara nodded before resting her hands on her temples as her headache reminded her that it was still there. She doubled over as she began to feel nauseous, causing Lur'kai to sigh heavily.

"If you're going to be sick… go use the wash basin…" Lur'kai said with a sigh.

Shad'ara ignored and resumed dressing, the wave of nausea fading in and out, but not compelling her to expel the toxin known as alcohol from her system quite yet. With a sigh she moved towards the door of Lur'kai's room,

"Where are you going?" he asked, suddenly in mentor mode.

"I am going home…" Shad'ara replied without looking back.

"Not with a hangover!" Lur'kai snapped "are you mad?" he asked.

"It's not that bad, I can take a healing potion as soon as I find my satchel and everything will be okay…" Shad'ara replied as she stepped out into the corridor.

She heard Lur'kai sigh heavily at her arrogance.

* * *

Hagus paced the Sanctum main hall, his fist glued to his chin as he immersed himself into a deep thought. He didn't understand what had transpired three days before. Back in that old and decrepit home in the Ghostlands he had encountered some sort of flashback and it occurred when him and Garion came into the briefest of contact. At that thought, Hagus paused and looked over to the mage who was examining the Fel crystals floating in a little alcove surrounded by plush pillows. Garion had also experienced the flashback upon contact.

"You know, Sallaria won't be happy if a rut has been carved into the floor…" echoed a female voice.

Hagus turned towards the voice's owner, seeing that is was Violet, the substitute Master Warlock of the Sanctum. He sighed before crossing his arms over his chest.

"Well, she will have to deal with it because I am not leaving until I see Shad'ara!" Hagus growled.

"I told you before, she hasn't returned yet…" Violet replied.

"Nonsense, I had a vision of her returning here yesterday… she should be here!" Hagus replied.

The Violet's eyes flared in annoyance, her demonic tail flicking in response,

"Fine, I guess it won't hurt to say that she has indeed returned from her trip, but is recovering after being gone for two weeks…" Violet replied "She should return in a day or two…" she added mimicking Hagus's stance.

Hagus sighed sharply,

"It is urgent that I speak with her now… Something has happened that I need another mind to talk it over with…" Hagus said, placing his arms behind his back.

Garion had walked up behind Hagus, placing a hand on his shoulder,

"Why can't we share it with this young lady here?" Garion asked in a gentle tone.

Hagus turned to face Garion,

"Because only Shad'ara can comprehend my void visions… no one else can understand its properties!" Hagus hissed.

Violet chuckled,

"I'm a demonic aberration!" she exclaimed "I am sure that I can comprehend these void visions of yours…" she added, covering her mouth with a dainty hand.

Hagus sighed once more, looking over to Violet, his eyes slowly turning a deep purple, he remained silent as if he was trying to concentrate. After a few moments of silence his eyes returned to their usual Sin'Dorei hue, reaching out a gloved hand towards Violet,

"Fine… You seem able enough to comprehend what I am about to explain to you…" Hagus replied.

"I'm not sure what just happened… But follow me over to the sitting area…" Violet responded with a raised brow before taking Hagus's hand.

Hagus and Garion followed after the demonic elf over to where bright red gossamer drapes hung from the ceiling covering an area much like where the Fel crystals were, but instead of a set of crystals made of demonic energy, a chandelier hung, creating a crimson glow. Hagus settled himself across from Violet, who sat cross-legged, her hands folded neatly across her chest,

"Now, tell me what you needed to tell Shad'ara…" Violet said after Garion had seated himself next to Hagus.

With a sigh, the Warlock conjured an orb of shadow, three tendrils reaching out to touch the three elves on the chests where their hearts were located.

"It is better if I show you…" Hagus replied as his eyes became Violet once more, but taking on more of a demonic look, much like Violet's.

* * *

Shad'ara sat in her sitting room with the journal she found in Hyjal in her lap, sipping on a cup of herbal tea and slightly damp hair braided and draped over her shoulder. With a sigh, she turned a page and began studying the symbols etched onto the parchment with violet ink. They seemed to dance the more she stared at them, but the more she held her concentration, the easier it was to decode.

_"The mistress sent a Twilight Dragon and a Flame Druid to us for a bottle of our captured thunder… What in the name of the Old Ones is she planning?"_

Shad'ara wrote down the translated text onto some parchment, her thoughts shifting back to the memory of when she saw the Twilight Dragon carrying Zaerindel to the camp and hand some items to the Twilight Matron.

_'Oooh, how intriguing… You found a secret diary!'_ Shi'zara murmured across Shad'ara's mind.

Shad'ara's witty comeback was disrupted by a hardy knock upon her front door, causing her to close the journal before sighing.

_'Better answer the door… You wouldn't want to leave your master out in the cold…'_ Shi'zara teased.

Shad'ara groaned and rose to her feet, straightening her robes as she moved towards her front door. She opened the door to see Lur'kai in mid knock, his face twisted into the usual scowl,

"Yes, what is it you want?" Shad'ara asked as she crossed her arms.

"You may have a hangover… but as you said, your healing potion should have helped cure it," Lur'kai replied "and that means you can resume your training…" he added, crossing his arms.

Shad'ara rolled her eyes, moving aside to motion Lur'kai inside.

"I'm rather busy decoding a journal that could have vital information…" Shad'ara replied as she closed her door rather forcefully, moving back towards her sitting room.

Lur'kai set his jaw, his eyes flashing a bit from a spike of anger, before following after her,

"And why is decoding a journal more important than keeping your mind from being enslaved by a demon?" Lur'kai asked as he leaned against the doorway connecting the entryway and the sitting room, his arms crossed.

Shad'ara sighed, looking to Lur'kai with her mouth agape,

"This again?" she asked.

Lur'kai nodded slightly, his face remaining emotionless.

"Well, the fact that I have kept control for two weeks now proves that I am perfectly fine if I miss another day…" Shad'ara answered "Also, as you said… I have a hangover, which is still having a blast with my skull even with the healing potion I took!" Shad'ara growled.

Lur'kai pushed himself away from the wall and moved over to where Shad'ara was, she was taking up the whole length of her couch, and her feet propped up on the end while she held the journal close to her face. He ripped the journal from her hands and tossed it away, causing her eyes to flare in rage,

"You have no authority to confirm that!" he snapped "For all we know, your Inner Demon could be biding her time, waiting for your mood to drop to slowly manipulate you into succumbing to her!" Lur'kai growled.

Shad'ara had enough; she reached for Lur'kai's collar and brought him close,

"You listen to me!" she growled "This is my house, my rules! And if I want to sit on my ass all day and read, then I will!" she added with a hiss.

Her spike in anger caused her features turn a bit demonic, her face starting to take on Shi'zara's skin tone, her eyes becoming bright, and her hair starting to change back to black. Lur'kai heard a chuckle enter his mind,

'_You just keep making her angry… You are making this too easy!_' Shi'zara muttered across his mind.

Lur'kai swore to himself before starting the tendrils of panic course through his chest, he did the only thing he could think of, and that was to kiss her. Shad'ara's slow transformation ceased and began to turn her features back to normal as she melted into the kiss,

'_Nooooo!_' Shi'zara hissed.

Lur'kai pulled away, his eyes half-closed as he looked at Shad'ara who just stared at him in shock. Lur'kai remained silent before stepping back and turning away from her,

"W-Why did you do that?" Shad'ara asked.

Lur'kai sighed and sagged his shoulders before turning to look at her,

"Because Shi'zara was using your anger to take control…" he answered before turning away once more, walking towards the entry way to leave.

Shad'ara got up and ran after him, catching him around the middle as she held him back, earning a harsh sigh from him.

"Shad'ara, let go…" Lur'kai murmured, prying her fingers away and continuing to move towards the door.

Shad'ara lunged forward, grabbing his arm and moving around to look up at him,

"I'll go to the Sanctum…" she murmured.

Lur'kai sighed once more and met her eyes,

"What made you change your mind, I thought you weren't feeling well and would rather read all day…" Lur'kai said in a sharp tone.

Shad'ara didn't answer, she just let go of Lur'kai's arm and moved towards the door, pulling on her cloth boots before looking back up at him,

"I think the thought of me becoming like Violet, changed my mind…" she replied.

Lur'kai nodded and followed after her, taking up her hand.

* * *

"There you are!" Hagus exclaimed when he saw Shad'ara walk into the Sanctum, Lur'kai following close behind with his usually scowl on his face.

"Yes, she has returned to the Sanctum, but she must resume her training… her Inner Demon almost took control today…" Lur'kai said as he stepped into Hagus's path.

Hagus scowled, twisting his mouth into a snarl,

"Well whose fault is that?" Hagus asked in an acidic tone "I'm quite sure you are the reason she has that Demon as her Inner Demon" he added.

"What are you talking about?" Lur'kai asked, stepping towards Hagus, staring down at him with demonic eyes.

Hagus crossed his arms and held his ground, his features becoming slightly demonic as well,

"I seen everything while I was away in Outland," Hagus replied "I seen you switch out the void gems upon Shad'ara's Inner Demon ritual!" he added with a hiss, pointing towards Shad'ara.

"Can you prove that you seen me do that?" Lur'kai asked with a snarl "for all you know, I could have exchanged the duds since those are common finds by the Acolytes!" Lur'kai added as he crossed his arms.

Their little spat was causing some attention, Acolytes were watching as the two warlocks argued, causing Laeriel to come and investigate.

"Yes, how do you know this little elf?" Laeriel asked "My brother may be cruel to his acolytes at times, but he doesn't tamper with their Inner Demon rituals…" she added, catching Lur'kai by surprise as she took his side for once.

Hagus looked around Lur'kai to look at Shad'ara before sighing,

"I have been keeping tabs on Shad'ara since Scholomance…" Hagus confessed "I wanted to tell her about what I saw earlier, but she just sent me away…" he added.

"That is because I was busy and I didn't know that you wanted to tell me, all you claimed was that you have cryptic visions that need to be figured out!" Shad'ara hissed.

Hagus sighed, knowing that without proof, they wouldn't believe him,

"Maybe I can show you my proof?" he asked.

Shad'ara set her jaw, her eyes growing dim,

"No, I will have Lur'kai tell me if it is true…" she replied "For all I know, these visions of yours could be tampered!" she added with a hiss.

Shad'ara moved to look at Lur'kai, matching her eyes with his,

"Is what Hagus speaks true?" she asked in a low voice.

Lur'kai sighed and gestured towards an empty corner,

"Let's discuss this in private…" he muttered.

Shad'ara followed after Lur'kai towards the empty corner he pointed out. They stepped through some gossamer curtains before Lur'kai paused to look at her.

"What Hagus said was true…" Lur'kai confessed "But it wasn't out of malice or anything that can cause harm… I did it to help you…" He added, keeping his gaze from her.

Shad'ara took a deep breath before reaching out to raise his chin so she could look him in the eyes,

"Why?" she asked in a gentle tone.

Lur'kai sighed and reached into his robe's pocket, pulling out a crimson void gem on a black chain, handing it to Shad'ara,

"Because, I too am a Void Seer… I foreseen something in your future that you need to be prepared for, and a Shivan is a strong demon," he answered "the fact that you kept control this long without your Void gem and a two week gap in your training, proves that you are strong willed…" Lur'kai added before turning away from Shad'ara.

"What did you see?" Shad'ara asked as she reached for Lur'kai.

With a sigh, Lur'kai looked to Shad'ara with sad eyes,

"If I didn't choose a Shivan for your Inner Demon… Then what I saw in the distant future would have come true…" He replied.

"And what was it?" Shad'ara asked "tell me!" she exclaimed.

"You would have died…" Lur'kai answered before turning away from Shad'ara and making his way back towards the main room of the Sanctum, leaving Shad'ara in that corner with a face of shock.

* * *

Just to clarify:

Hagus is a different kind of Void Seer, his time in Outland has effected his ability to the point to where he can actually project images. Lur'kai is the normal type who can only see visions in his mind through sleep, or when he has deep concentration.


	22. The Soulstone

I hope you like this one :3

* * *

"I think it is time that you learned how to summon your first demon…" Lur'kai said as Shad'ara plopped down onto some silken pillows, drained of her mana after a difficult spell she was trying to master.

Shad'ara sighed heavily and tossed her head back, groaning in the process, causing Lur'kai to chuckle slightly.

"I didn't say right this moment," Lur'kai commented "You need to study more on what I am going to teach you…" He added, pausing to look down upon Shad'ara.

"And that is?" Shad'ara asked as she looked up to Lur'kai.

"I'm going to teach you how to summon a Fel Imp…" Lur'kai replied as he held out a metal bound grimoire with demonic runes etched into the spine.

Shad'ara's jaw dropped at the thought of learning advanced summoning so early in her training, but if she had a upper tier Demon for her Inner Demon, then it should be easy…right?

"Take my Grimoire and study well, you will need to understand both the basic and advanced techniques for summoning the little bugger," Lur'kai explained as he tossed the Grimoire beside Shad'ara.

"Rest up for a bit, I want to teach you something else…" Lur'kai said as he walked away, tossing a fel crystal at Shad'ara to recharge her mana reserves.

* * *

Hagus paced the courtyard of the Arcane Academy; waiting for Garion's advanced class to end to speak with him about the events that had happened in the Ghostlands. For the past few days, Garion seemed reluctant to talk about what had happened for some odd reason, but he was the only person who went through what Hagus went through that could talk about it.

He sat on a bench propped under a tree with amber leaves, vines of fragrant flowers hanging from the branches, causing Hagus's sinuses to get overwhelmed by their fragrance. His ears perked up when he heard the lone bell beginning to toll, marking the end of the day at the twin academies. He spotted Garion weaving his way through the students, obviously trying to avoid the center of the courtyard, but Hagus was quick on his feet, tailing after the mage and grabbed his shoulder once they were out of the academy.

"What do you want?!" Garion snapped, yanking his shoulder free.

"I told you that I need to speak with you about what happened!" Hagus replied, matching Garion's tone "and this time, you aren't going to dodge it!" he added as he grabbed the mage's forearm and pulled him towards a wooden bench to sit down.

Garion sighed and crossed his arms, avoiding the warlock's face,

"Now, you saw what I saw…" Hagus said "a vision of the past…" he added.

"What about it?" Garion sighed.

"The vision was of us as children…" Hagus answered.

Garion looked at Hagus,

"No, that other boy wasn't you… I recall him having black hair… you don't!" Garion snapped "that boy was my twin brother who is no longer a part of this world!" he added with a snarl.

Hagus ran a hand through his hair and sighed, looking down to the mage,

"Haven't you read the notes you took?" Hagus asked "those notes of my past talk about a boy with black hair that was taken by a demon posing as his mother. I can't have visions of those I do not know… That is your proof," Hagus added.

"That we're what? Brothers?" Garion scoffed "impossible, you look nothing like me and if we were brothers, I would remember you…" Garion replied, his chin resting in the palm of his hand.

"What can I do to prove that we are related in some way?" Hagus asked with a sigh.

"Nothing!" Garion hissed "I told you that my brother had black hair, and his name was Hérion not Hagus!" Garion snapped.

Hagus rolled his eyes and turned away from the mage,

"Well, I better get back to reading the notes you gave me… you can get back to whatever you were doing…" Hagus said in a sharp tone.

Garion ignored him as he rested his forehead in his hands exhaling all of his built up rage within him before trying to fix his composure.

* * *

Lur'kai held a smooth orange gem connected to a dark chain, studying it intently while he scratched his chin in thought. He sat at a stone table propped in the corner near the Fel Crystals as he just examined the gem.

"What are you doing?" Shad'ara asked.

Lur'kai turned his gaze to Shad'ara and sighed, placing the gem he held around his neck.

"I think it is time you summon your imp…" Lur'kai answered "then I'll teach you something vitally important," he added.

Shad'ara looked at her master in confusion,

"But I hardly studied the required material to summon my Fel Imp!" Shad'ara commented in a stressed voice.

Lur'kai held up a finger,

"It is best that you at least have a basic demonic familiar before going onto the advanced," Lur'kai explained "That is what my father always told me when I was younger, trying to summon my advanced demons…" Lur'kai added.

Shad'ara sighed and placed the grimoire he had given her on the stone table before taking a few steps back and cracking her knuckles.

"Alright, what do I have to do to summon my imp?" she asked.

Lur'kai smiled for once; this smile wasn't out of malice, but rather out of joy… rare for him.

"Simple, you just need to concentrate, and leave the rest to Shi'zara…" Lur'kai explained "with your Void crystal, you don't have to worry about her trying to take over your mind," he added as he stepped towards her, placing a golden claw over his index finger, common for all their training sessions.

Shad'ara nodded slightly and took a deep breath, her eyes fluttering shut as she attempted to draw her Inner Demonic power. She could sense Shi'zara shuffling within her subconscious as she drew from her Inner Demon.

"This is different than what Sallaria does to teach her acolytes," Lur'kai murmured "But actually think of summoning the Imp; see into the Twisting Nether…" Lur'kai explained as he gripped Shad'ara's forearms.

Shad'ara took another deep breath, opening her eyes as she exhaled, her hands glowing a bright purple as she called upon the Demonic energies. It wasn't until she felt a flux of energy move through her that she realized Lur'kai was allowing her to draw power from him.

She released the spell with a sigh, unable to call upon a demon to Azeroth,

"I can't Lur'kai… it is too soon…" she murmured.

"Too soon?" Lur'kai asked "Why don't you look down…" he added.

Shad'ara obeyed and looked down in front of her to see an imp looking up at her with big eyes, she could swear the she could smell the mischief radiating off of it.

"You know what to do I hope?" Lur'kai asked as he crouched down to look at the imp.

Shad'ara nodded and knelt down, catching the Imp's attention,

"What is your name little creature?" Shad'ara asked.

The imp grinned at her, showing off his pointy yellow teeth, before bowing.

"I am called Gobtai…" he answered in a shrill voice.

Shad'ara looked to Lur'kai with a raised brow who in turn laughed.

"Every imp is different…" Lur'kai explained "This one seems to sense your Inner Demon and feels compelled to respect you because of Shi'zara's status amongst other demons…" he added as he pushed himself to stand.

Shad'ara looked back to Gobtai and nodded,

"I am your master now…" She muttered "I am Shad'ara, and you will listen to me, go it?" she asked in a commanding tone.

Gobtai nodded,

"Yes mistress," he muttered.

Shad'ara got up and turned to Lur'kai,

"Now, what do you want to teach me that is vitally important?" she asked.

Lur'kai looked to her and held up the orange crystal he was looking intently at a moment ago,

"This…" he murmured.

"Your void crystal?" Shad'ara asked "what about it?" she asked once more.

Lur'kai smirked before a bright orange and purple lot radiated around him before going towards the crystal in his hands. He used the golden claw on his finger to cut his wrist, causing Shad'ara to flinch.

"I want you to unleash all your spells upon me, this is a test…" Lur'kai muttered, letting the crystal hang around his neck, his hands moving to rest at his back as he set his legs evenly apart in a military stance.

Shad'ara sighed; she had no choice but to obey him. She called upon everything she had left after summoning Gobtai and unleashed it upon Lur'kai who in turn didn't even flinch as Fel fire and shadow struck him hard. Once he began to appear as if he was about to faint, Shad'ara ceased her spell casting, looking upon him in horror,

"Don't stop now, keep going!" Lur'kai hissed.

"No, this is torture!" she exclaimed.

Lur'kai sighed and pulled out a dagger from behind his back, rolling up the sleeve of the arm he had cut previously. Shad'ara flinched as he stabbed the blade into the artery of his arm before dropping the dagger.

"Now watch…" Lur'kai said with a growl.

"Watch you die?" Shad'ara asked frantically "No, I can't!" she added, tears starting to swell up in her eyes.

Lur'kai grimaced as best as he could as blood covered his arm, spilling into the floor as his life slowly drained. Soon he fell backwards, unable to keep himself standing from the blood loss, his headpiece he wore rolling away once he hit the floor of the sanctum.

Shad'ara gasped and ran up to him, shaking him to hope that he was just playing around… but no movement came. She cried as she closed Lur'kai's now dim eyes, his skin pale from death, she leaned forward and kissed him before looking away. She didn't even notice that his void gem was glowing and vibrating a little. What caught her attention was Lur'kai's hand reaching up to grab her hand.

"You should have seen your face…" Lur'kai chuckled.

Shad'ara looked to Lur'kai, who was looking at her with bright eyes and a wide smirk on his lips,

"It was priceless!" he said as he burst out into laughter.

Shad'ara glared at him, wiping away her tears,

"That was horrible!" she snapped, smacking away his hand.

Lur'kai sat up and reached for his headpiece, adjusting it to rest neatly on his head before examining his arm. The wounds he had made were completely healed, still bloodstained though.

"What did you do?" Shad'ara asked "You should be dead!" she exclaimed.

"I would be dead, if it weren't for this…" Lur'kai gestured to his Void Gem "what I did was store my soul within it," Lur'kai explained "It really helps…" he added.

Shad'ara looked at him in confusion,

"Your Void Gem can be used as a Soulstone?" she asked.

Lur'kai nodded,

"Yes, unlike the ones other Warlocks use, you Void Gem can't be destroyed and you can resurrect yourself at any time, whether it be an hour, to three days…" he explained.

"Why can't it be destroyed?" Shad'ara asked.

Lur'kai sighed,

"Because the Soulstones used are just our souls crystallized," Lur'kai explained "Our Void Gems are something of Demonic creation, it is tougher than the lesser Soulstone…" he added.

Shad'ara nodded,

"So you want me to learn how to store my soul to preserve my life?" she asked.

Lur'kai nodded,

"Precisely," He replied "Now, do you have any questions?" he asked.

"Just one request…" Shad'ara commented. She was dying to know one thing, and one thing only,

Lur'kai raised a brow,

"And what would that be?" he asked.

Shad'ara sighed,

"I want to know what you saw in your vision that I apparently died in and the difference between you and Hagus as Void Seers…" Shad'ara replied.

Lur'kai took a deep breath before placing a partially bloody hand on Shad'ara's cheek,

"Another time perhaps…" he responded "I need to clean up the mess I made…" he added earning a sharp sigh and an eye roll from Shad'ara.

* * *

It was not entirely common for people to walk the streets of Silvermoon in the middle of the night. But with the current events going on around Azeroth, it became somewhat of a common happening.

Shad'ara urged her Hawkstrider through the Shepherd's Gate of the city, earning odd looks from the vigilant guards as she rushed passed them. She slowed her mount to a steady stop before hopping down onto the cobblestones in front of Wayfarer's Rest.

"I'm sorry girl; I didn't mean to push you too hard…" Shad'ara murmured as she stroked the beak of her Hawkstrider.

She tied the reins to the post stationed in front of the inn where a troth of water rested.

With one final pat on the beak, Shad'ara turned away from her mount, pulling up her hood as she walked a few paces away from the Inn and towards a small residential district. Upon reaching the small house she was looking for, a sleek black cat with bright fel green eyes mewed at her, flicking its tail before curling up on one of the stone steps leading up to the door.

Shad'ara knocked three times upon the solid white-oak door before noticing a thick cord connected to a bell. She gave it a tug and waited for the owner to answer the door, if he was still awake. It seemed like an eternity as she waited, twiddling her thumbs and biting her lip. But the door finally opened a little to show the sleepy face of Lur'kai, his hair messy and face twisted into a scowl.

"Shad'ara… What are you doing here?" he asked rubbing a hand over the right side of his face before brushing a few strands of his hair back "It is three in the morning!" he snapped.

"I know and I am sorry…" she murmured "but I discovered something vital from this journal…" Shad'ara added as she pulled out a journal from under her cloak.

Lur'kai sighed and opened the door a little wider to let her in, his black feline dashing inside before he forcefully closed his door. To her astonishment, he wore only trousers.

"Why couldn't this wait until tomorrow?" he asked.

"Technically it is tomorrow…" Shad'ara murmured, hoping Lur'kai wouldn't hear, but he did, sighing sharply.

"You know what I meant!" he snapped.

Shad'ara held out a hand in a calming gesture before opening the journal to a place she had marked. A piece of folded parchment nearly falling out as she handed it to him,

"I can't read Kalimag, Shad'ara!" Lur'kai snapped "I'm no mage or shaman…" he added as he tried to hand the journal back to Shad'ara, who refused to take it.

"Read the piece of parchment, it has the translation…" Shad'ara replied.

Lur'kai rolled his eyes, uttering a quiet yawn as he unfolded the parchment, noticing Shad'ara's rushed, but elegant handwriting.

'_The mistress approached us with a plan… She wanted us to lure a Blood elven Priestess out into the Highlands so she can be seized up by our mistress for a secret experiment she is working on._'

Lur'kai raised a brow and looked up slightly to Shad'ara,

"How is this important?" he asked.

"Keep reading…" Shad'ara murmured.

'_We brought our mistress our best Earth and Water Ascendants, along with some water one of our smaller camps stole from the lake the wretched World Tree covered. She still won't tell us her plan beside the one obvious piece that she was doing a ritual of Ascendance on her prized prisoner._'

Lur'kai furrowed his brow and sighed,

"So, the Twilight's hammer is doing what they usually do," he sighed "why is this a big deal to where you come in the middle of the night and disturb my sleep?" he asked.

Shad'ara sighed and pulled a piece of folded parchment from her sleeve, holding it out for Lur'kai to read,

"Trust me," she whispered "it gets worse…" she added.

Lur'kai skimmed over the parchment, muttering the words quietly to himself, raising a brow and looking back to Shad'ara.

"What do they need your cousin for?" Lur'kai asked.

Shad'ara sighed heavily, looking down to her feet,

"From what I read, she is the Blood elf priestess they need…" Shad'ara answered "They are going to make her an ascendant for a dark ritual my aunt is planning…" Shad'ara added, a rogue tear rolling down her cheek.

"You are hiding something from me…" Lur'kai commented, reaching out to brush away the tear "what is it?" he asked.

Shad'ara looked up at Lur'kai before lunging towards im, her arms wrapping around him as she buried her face into his chest.

"She's trying to resurrect Niros…" Shad'ara murmured.

Lur'kai set his jaw, remembering that this Niros she spoke of was the one that killed Valdimirr. He looked down to Shad'ara and sighed gently, wrapping his arms around her shoulders to comfort her, occasionally stroking the back of her head.

"This is what I saw in my vision…" He murmured before kissing the top of her head "I saw this Niros kill you, and me powerless to stop him…" he added.

Shad'ara looked up at him, sniffling a little,

"That's why you made the pact with Shi'zara and taught me how to store my soul?" Shad'ara murmured through her quiet sobs.

Lur'kai nodded slightly,

"Yes… That is exactly why…" he murmured.

Shad'ara smiled slightly and reach up to place her lips against his, catching him y surprise,

"Thank you…" she murmured as she pulled away.

Lur'kai remained silent, only reaching forward to kiss her again.

* * *

:D Dun Dun Dun~! (I feel so evil now :/)


	23. Void Seers

what is this? another chapter in less than a day? XD

* * *

Shad'ara awoke in the early hours of morning, wrapped from behind in Lur'kai's embrace. He slept soundly, his eyelids occasionally twitching as he slept. She stretched her legs before twisting to sit up, causing Lur'kai's arms to wrap around her waist before gently removing them to allow herself to rise from the bed and dress herself. She had a busy day planned ahead, she wanted to hopefully find Twilliara and speak to her before going to the sanctum. As she laced shut her robes, she heard Lur'kai beginning to stir. She peered over her shoulder to see him now sleeping on his back, his arm resting in the spot she once slept at.

She crept over to his bedside and leaned over to place a gentle kiss on his forehead before making her way quietly to the door, resisting the urge to go back to bed to lie in his arms. She paused at the sound of his voice, looking over her shoulder to see Lur'kai patting the space next time him before stilling, he was dreaming about her. That made Shad'ara's heart melt at the thought.

With a sigh she moved back towards the room and unearthed a piece of parchment from her robes pocket and wrote a small note for him, explaining where she was, hoping he wouldn't be angry if she showed up late to training.

* * *

"Ah, Shad'ara, what a surprise seeing you here," said a male priest with auburn hair.

Shad'ara paused and looked at him,

"I'm sorry Felinar, but I am looking for my cousin, have you see her?" Shad'ara asked as she looked around the temple.

Felinar looked at Shad'ara with a soft gaze before sighing,

"You just missed her, she left towards the Arcane Academy to answer a summons to the field…" he replied "If you go now; you might catch her in time…" he added.

Shad'ara smiled slightly,

"Thank you Felinar!" she exclaimed as she ran from the room, weaving her way through the Novice and apprentice priests.

All of Shad'ara's time at the Academy proved useful to her, she knew all of the shortcuts to the Arcane Academy back when she and Valdimirr was a blossoming couple. She skipped the courtyard knowing it was full of students conversing over their studies or arcane experiments, instead going through a semi empty hallway. She entered the room she knew the most, she had always found Valdimirr in here, learning new ways to conjure portals. Her eyes rested on Twilliara who was stepping towards a portal to Orgrimmar, Shad'ara lunged forward and grabbed her forearm a breadth of a moment her foot went into the portal.

"Stop Twill," Shad'ara exclaimed, catching her cousin by surprise "it's a trap set by Aunt Ira!" she added.

Twilliara turned and faced Shad'ara, her lips pursed and eyes blazing slightly,

"Where is your proof in that Shad?" Twilliara asked, not meaning to sound harsh.

Shad'ara sighed and gestured for Twill to follow her in a secluded corner,

"When I went to the Hyjal to locate my brother, I discovered a journal that talked about Aunt Ira performing some kind of dark ritual that she needed reagents for… you being one of them…" Shad'ara explained as she dug out the parchment of the journal's translated text.

Twilliara skimmed over the parchment, her face emotionless,

"I am sure I'll be safe within the Horde camps, I'm a healer, not a battle-priest…" Twill responded, handing the parchment back to Shad'ara.

"That is all aunt Ira wants, Twill!" Shad'ara exclaimed "She has all kinds of ways of disguising herself and others who can convince people to accompany them!" she added.

"How do you know this?" Twill asked.

"I know this because she sent someone to lure my baby brother towards the Flame Druids, corrupting his mind and turning him against nature!" Shad'ara hissed "I won't lose anyone else to this conflict!" she snapped, a tear escaping her eye.

"You really have forgotten the special lesson Felinar taught us…" Twilliara murmured "All your time within the shadow…" she added.

"What are you talking about?" Shad'ara asked.

"Felinar taught us that those with a good spirit and strong mind can use the light to see through anything false…" Twilliara explained "I've been to the battle-fields before; I was able to 'smell' out the agents of Deathwing before they did too much harm…" Twilliara added.

Shad'ara sighed and grabbed Twilliara by her forearms,

"It's not anything like that Twill!" Shad'ara fussed "Aunt Ira is going to use you to bring back Niros!" Shad'ara exclaimed.

Twilliara sighed,

"Will it make you feel better if I took someone with me?" Twilliara asked.

"It will make me feel better if you stayed here, away from any place touched by the Twilight's Hammer!" Shad'ara exclaimed.

"Forget it Shad'ara, I am not going to be cooped up here while my friends and good people or dying!" Twilliara hissed, her eyes flaring at her spike in anger.

Twilliara stepped away from Shad'ara before she could grab for her again, moving towards the portal to Orgrimmar. She paused slightly and looked over her shoulder, sighing,

"I'm sorry Shad'ara… But I am following my heart on this one…" she murmured before stepping through.

The portal vanished, the mage conjuring it slumping over as his mana drained; Shad'ara recognized him and stormed over to him,

"How dare you!" she hissed.

The mage looked at her with confusion,

"What are you talking about?" the mage asked "what did I do?"

Shad'ara looked at the mage again, blinking a few times. Her rage made her think the mage was Hagus,

"I-I'm sorry… I thought you were someone else…" she murmured before walking away.

"You thought I was that Hagus…" the mage murmured back, causing Shad'ara to pause.

"Yes, I did…" she muttered "You look similar to him…" she added before walking away. She had to relay the bad news to her uncle that his youngest just left for Orgrimmar.

* * *

"This is troubling news…" Linarii said as he paced in front of the window of the main house, his hand to his chin and arm perched behind his back.

"I'm sorry Uncle; I tried to stop her… She's too stubborn…" Shad'ara said, as she looked to her hands.

Linarii paused and looked out the window,

"She has too much of her mother in her I am afraid…" Linarii murmured "I swear that she doesn't have the Sunbreeze reason to logic…" he added.

Shad'ara looked up,

"What do you mean Uncle?" Shad'ara asked.

Linarii turned to face his niece, sighing,

"You can approach her with evidence and all kind of proof that the sky is blue and the grass is green, but Twilliara will always argue and state that they aren't… She sees things vividly and likes to see deep down in the hearts of people before looking at their face…" Linarii explained.

Shad'ara chuckled slightly,

"If you put it that way…" she replied "But how can we get her home?" she asked.

"I was unable to do this with Sallaria when she ran after Lythnar year and a half ago… But I can send out letters to every outpost both Alliance and Horde saying to not let Twilliara out of their sight and to make sure she has a charge with her at all times…" Linarii explained.

"But you can't make her come home?" Shad'ara asked.

Linarii shook his head,

"Twilliara will just disobey the order, even if it were from the Regent Lord himself…" Linarii replied.

Shad'ara sighed heavily,

"That's what I thought…" she murmured "I guess I will return to Silvermoon for now…" she added.

Linarii nodded and walked with Shad'ara to the door, patting her on the shoulder and smiling before she left. Once the door was closed, Linarii's smile disappeared.

* * *

Shad'ara entered Murder Row with her head hanging low; she didn't know what to do about Twilliara. Sure her uncle said he would take care of it, but she felt that wasn't enough. When she looked up, she saw Hagus leaning against the archway of the sanctum, Lur'kai facing her with his arms folded behind his back.

"I think it is time to explain the differences between us Void Seers…" Lur'kai murmured as he held a hand out for Shad'ara.

Shad'ara took his hand and followed after them, going into the bowels of the building to where the main room of the Sanctum was located, but they didn't stop there, they kept going towards Sallaria's office where no nosy acolytes can listen in. Once the door closed behind her, Shad'ara turned her gaze to Lur'kai as he cleared his throat,

"Alright, Void Seers, like I am can have visions, but they can't project it like Hagus can…" Lur'kai explained.

"What do you mean?" Shad'ara asked.

Lur'kai sighed and gestured to Hagus who took a deep breath before summoning a shadowy orb in front of him,

"This is what I mean… I can't do anything like that; I can only pull those who I am close to into a trance when I want to share visions with them…" Lur'kai explained "Hagus on the other hand somehow had his ability mutated by the strange energies of Outland…" added.

Shad'ara raised her brow,

"What do you mean by pulling people into a trance?" she asked.

Lur'kai sighed and stepped towards her, taking up her hands and pressing his forehead against hers,

"Like this…" he murmured before closing his eyes.

Shad'ara felt as if she was falling, the world around her went dark for a moment before returning to normal. But it was different; she wasn't standing in Sallaria's office, but rather the courtyard of the arcane academy where she saw herself and Lur'kai standing in front of a portal to Stormwind. Lur'kai was showing her a vision of the past.

The imaged blurred before her and she was brought back to consciousness, standing in front of Lur'kai as she was before being pulled into his vision.

"That was strange…" she murmured.

Lur'kai nodded,

"I don't know why, but Hagus claims he only started seeing into the past a few months ago... He is different…" he murmured.

"Don't speak as if I am not here!" Hagus snapped.

Lur'kai sighed,

"I wasn't," Lur'kai replied "I was only explaining to Shad'ara the difference between our abilities…" he added.

Hagus sighed sharply and crossed his arms,

"You have yet to tell her the most important thing about us Void Seers…" Hagus stated.

Shad'ara looked at Hagus before returning her gaze back to Lur'kai, her face twisted into confusion. Lur'kai sighed,

"Void Seers can't dream…" he explained "We can either experience visions though a trance or when we are asleep, they act like dreams, but aren't truly…" he added.

Shad'ara remained silent as she remembered hearing Lur'kai murmur her name earlier that morning. She thought he was dreaming, but in reality, he was experiencing a vision.

"You had a vision this morning… What was it?" She asked.

Lur'kai rubbed the back of his head, looking slightly awkward,

"I…" he started before sighing "it's hard to explain right now… I will explain later…" he replied.

Shad'ara rolled her eyes, before looking to Hagus,

"Hagus, do you by any chance have a brother?" she asked.

Hagus flinched before nodding,

"I believe so, but he won't hear anything of it, even with all the proof I had…" he replied.

Shad'ara smiled slightly, about to say something else before Lur'kai cleared his throat,

"Go fetch him, I want to speak with him…" he said.

Hagus sighed,

"I will try…" Hagus muttered before moving towards the door.

* * *

Zaerindel entered the makeshift sanctum of his mistress to answer her summons; He found her caressing a large tube filled with scraps of metal and armor giving off a bright violet light. He stopped a few feet away and took a military stance before clearing his throat,

"You summoned me mistress?" he asked.

Iradari turned to face him, her crimson eyes becoming bright as she acknowledged him. She gave a wicked smile before taking a step towards him.

"Yes I have… You are going out into the field for a task I planned for you," she murmured.

Zaerindel knew not to question her; she was in a foul mood since the camp was set aflame, near half of the Twilight Dragon eggs and some of her research being destroyed. He felt her cold hand grab his chin as she examined him before smiling once more and turning towards a strange device.

"You will do perfectly…" she muttered.

Zaerindel cocked his head to the side as his amber eyes watched his mistress begin working with the device, pouring a strange black liquid into a clear glass vial. When it was finished, Iradari grabbed the vial and smelled it before placing a cork on it.

"This is a special potion I made using all kinds of essences of our prisoners," she explained "You will assume the form of the most relative race of the Horde or Alliance to gather information on troop movements, as well as recent recruitments…" she added, handing the vial to Zaerindel.

Zaerindel took it and swirled the liquid around before returning his gaze back to his mistress.

"How long will this last?" he asked.

"It will last for a few hours before you will have to take another sip, I gave you a week supply. If you run out, you will have to return here for more…" Iradari explained "now go, you are expected in the Highlands, Sorin Stargaze…" she added with a wicked grin.

Zaerindel nodded, taking a sip of the potion before stepping through a portal Iradari had conjured upon another strange device.

* * *

Shad'ara wiped her brow free of sweat as her mana reserves became spent. Lur'kai spoke with Hagus and Garion back in Sallaria's office. She decided to use that time to practice a few spells, the news of Lur'kai being unable to dream troubled her mind. She wanted him to tell her what he saw in his vision that morning, but he was reluctant.

With a sigh she looked to her newly summoned imp and motioned for him to follow her up to Murder Row for some fresh air. Upon exiting the Sanctum, she felt Lur'kai's presence.

She turned to see him leaned against the archway like Hagus had done earlier, but he was tapping his golden claw against his chin.

"Taking a break?" she asked.

Lur'kai smiled, sending a slight shiver down Shad'ara's spine. She would never get used to seeing his smile.

"I'm letting them talk it out, they are stubborn as hell!" Lur'kai responded with a sigh "What about you?" he asked.

Shad'ara sighed, looking up towards the sky as she felt a slight breeze enter the alleyway,

"I'm getting some air while I recuperate…" she replied "The chaos Bolt takes a lot out of you…" she added.

Lur'kai nodded and pushed himself away from the archway, making his way over to Shad'ara, wrapping his arms around her waist,

"Indeed it does…" he murmured before slowly leaning in towards her lips.

Their almost kiss was interrupted by the sound of someone calling Shad'ara's name. They turned I unison to see a white panther with Druidic markings running towards them, a guard and arcane construct chasing after her.

"Lefra!" Shad'ara called.

Shad'ara pulled herself out of Lur'kai's arms to kneel in front of the white panther to hug her tight,

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I have something to tell you!" Lefra replied.

"And what is that?" Shad'ara asked.

Lefra looked behind her to see Lur'kai speaking to the guard in hushed tones, before leaning in close,

"I know how to cure Zaerindel!" she exclaimed.

* * *

I hope I answered any questions you had about Void Seers


	24. The Confession

Inspiration got me good. I didn't plan on getting this done in 2 hours, let alone so soon due to writer's Block

* * *

Shad'ara breathed in the cool and crisp air of the Moonglade before following after her sister. After Lur'kai had managed to convince the guard that Lefra was on a diplomatic task for the Cenarion circle, they had a long talk about a strange potion that can be brewed to help fix severed connections to certain elements. Shad'ara had wondered if this potion could have helped her with the light, but she was too far in her training for it to do anything.

"So, why are we in Moonglade?" Lur'kai asked, causing Shad'ara and Lefra to pause and look at the male elf "I thought we needed ingredients for a potion?" he asked again.

Lefra smiled slightly,

"We are going for our ingredients," she answered.

Lur'kai sighed,

"Some of these herbs I never heard of, are you sure they even exist?!" Lur'kai asked in a sharp tone.

"Oh, they exist," Lefra answered "We just have to visit my parents first, to see them for the more common herbs…" Lefra added.

Lur'kai narrowed his eyes slightly before following Lefra once more, leaning in towards Shad'ara,

"She's not telling us something…" he whispered.

Shad'ara sighed,

"My sister has a rather unique way of speaking, she leaves more questions than answers… a little trait my mother passed to her," Shad'ara answered.

Lur'kai sighed before pausing to look at a rather large herbal garden where a green-haired night elf tended, murmuring a harmonic tune in her native tongue. She of course appeared Druidic. Her hair was loose, reaching her waist, antler's protruding her lilac forehead and green leaf tattoos around her lambent silvery eyes.

"Mother, we need your help…" Lefra murmured as she gained the attention of the green-haired Kaldorei "can we speak inside?" Lefra asked.

"Lefra my dear, I am so glad you are safe!" the Kaldorei said as she pulled Lefra into a loving embrace "Of course we can talk, your father is inside brewing potions," added the Kaldorei before looking passed her eldest to see Shad'ara standing next to Lur'kai.

"Are you going to stand there, or are you going to give your mother a hug?" the Kaldorei called as she gave Shad'ara a slightly surprised face.

Shad'ara chuckled slightly before taking a few steps forward, hugging her mother. Lur'kai almost wanted to laugh as he saw how short Shad'ara was compared to her mother, she was a good three feet taller than her, Shad'ara practically standing right below her mother's breasts.

"Who is your friend?" the Kaldorei asked as she began to motion her daughters towards the small house.

"This is Lur'kai Min'da; he trains Shad'ara as a Warlock in Silvermoon…" Lefra said slightly with a bit of hesitation in her voice.

The Kaldorei softened her gaze at Lefra before looking to Lur'kai,

"I see…" she murmured "Welcome to our home Master Lur'kai, I am Elunae Moonbreeze, Druid of Moonglade and mother of these two beautiful women, but I'm sure you guessed that already…" Elunae added.

Lur'kai nodded,

"It is good to meet you properly ma'am, I believe we met back at the Arcane Academy…" Lur'kai answered.

Elunae gave a puzzled look,

"I don't remember…" she murmured.

"Mother has been having troubles with her memory with all that is going on right now…" Lefra answered as she closed the door behind them.

"Iranil!" Elunae called "The girls are here!" she added as she walked towards a small room where dim colorful lights escaped, the sound of bubbling liquids and a mortar and pestle at work filling the air.

A Blood elf with light blonde hair, similar to Sallaria's walked out of the room, dusting his hands on his robes, pigment smeared on his face. Lur'kai was amazed by how much Shad'ara resembled him, last he saw him; he wasn't able to tell due to his mind being elsewhere at the time.

"What brings this visit?" Iranil asked as he reached forward to embrace his daughters.

Lefra fidgeted, looking nervous before holding out a piece of parchment for her father,

"I found a way to cure Zaerindel…" she murmured as Iranil looked over the parchment, still embracing Shad'ara.

"Hair of Aessina?" Iranil asked with a raised brow as he turned to hand the parchment to Elunae "You need to go to the Emerald Dream to obtain that…" Iranil commented "You aren't trained to handle the dream yet Lefra…" he added.

"That is why were are here, An'da…" Shad'ara commented.

Lur'kai watched as Iranil's face grew pale, looking to Elunae with sad eyes,

"You want your mother to enter the Dream?" he asked "She still not be able to after escaping the Nightmare, let alone find the herb…" he added.

Elunae stepped forward, placing a reassuring hand on her husband's shoulder,

"Iranil, it will be fine," she murmured, her hand glowing in earthly magics to soothe him "I won't be going into the Nightmare, but instead the dream. I will only be a few days…" she added.

Iranil sighed heavily,

"I worry about you every time you speak of reentering the Dream though; I thought I lost your forever when you last entered after Zaer left for training…" Iranil commented.

"Ysera is freed from the Dream, so is Arch-Druid Malfurion, the Dream is free of the taint of the Nightmare, it will be fine…" Elunae reassured.

"I won't keep you from following your instincts," Iranil murmured "But if this helps Zaerindel reconnect to his natural abilities, then so be it…" Iranil added.

Elunae nodded, leaning forward to kiss her husband's temple,

"I'll go prepare for the journey to the Dream…" she murmured as she walked away.

Iranil nodded, looking to Lefra,

"I need your help getting the reagents for your mother's journey…" he said as he moved towards a corner where a series of flowerpots were set out, holding glowing herbs unknown to Lur'kai.

"Shad'ara… Can I speak to you in private?" he asked.

Shad'ara turned to look at him, her brow raised,

"O-Of course…?" she replied in a questioning tone.

Lur'kai motioned towards the door leading to the garden outside, Shad'ara following behind him, caught in thought over what Lur'kai wanted to speak about.

* * *

"Oye, healer!" called an Orc grunt.

Twilliara sighed and looked up from a salve she was applying to a wounded goblin, noticing the Orc guiding an injured elf over to her section of the camp. She got up, nearly spilling the salve on the ground as she moved towards the Orc, taking the elf from him over to an empty cot. Twilliara examined the elf as she took notes on his wounds, thinking of which methods to use. His eyes were closed so she was unable to know if he was a Blood elf or a High elf.

She murmured a quick healing spell as she rose to move towards a work station covered with several bottles of liquids, some near empty. She searched through them, examining the labels before pouring some into a ceramic bowl. She gazed over her shoulder for a moment as she heard the elf start groaning. She turned and moved towards him, brushing some strands of hair out of her face as she stirred the concoction she made. She leaned over to help the elf stand before picking up the bowl delicately,

"Drink this, it will help with the pain…" she murmured.

The elf placed his lips on the edge of the bowl as best as he could, sipping the contents like a nursing infant. Twilliara tipped the bowl slightly as the last of the contents dripped into his mouth, some life slowly coming back to the elf.

His eyes slowly fluttered open, squinting as the bright light welcomed his fel green eyes. Twilliara seemed to relax knowing he was of the Horde and not the Alliance, knowing how hard it would be explaining why a High elf was in the infirmary.

"W-Where am I?" the elf asked with a scratchy voice.

"You are in the Infirmary of Crushblow…" she murmured as she brushed some of the elf's raven black hair from his face so she could clean the dried blood from his forehead "What happened to you?" she asked as she noticed a series of claw marks marring his arms and torso, deep claw marks.

"I-I…" the elf tried "D-Dragon…." He answered.

"Was it one of the Highland Black Drakes or one of the Twilight sentries of Grim Batol…?" Twilliara asked as she gently cleaned the claw marks, debating whether they should require stitching.

The elf remained silent, raising a shaking arm in a random direction,

"Towards Bloodgulch?" Twilliara asked.

The elf nodded slightly, hissing slightly in pain as Twilliara dabbed some salve onto one of the claw marks.

"What is your name?" she asked "I need to make a note in my books for reference…" she added.

"S-Sorin…" he murmured.

Twilliara nodded, dabbing more salve on his wounds,

"I am Priestess Twilliara…" she replied.

* * *

Shad'ara sat on the edge of a small dock behind her parent's house, her bare feet playing in the waters of Lake Elune'ara. Lur'kai leaning against a post where a lantern hung, watching Shad'ara's back.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Shad'ara asked with a sigh as she brought her feet up to the dock to cross them under her.

"What are we doing?" he asked after several moments of silence.

Shad'ara turned to look over her shoulder, confusion present in her face,

"What do you mean?" she asked.

Lur'kai sighed and moved to kneel beside Shad'ara,

"I mean, what are we?" he answered "are we just love struck colleagues or are we actual lovers?" he asked.

Shad'ara raised a brow, her face squinting as she was caught off guard by his question,

"I am afraid I still don't understand what you are trying to say…" she murmured.

"Damn it!" Lur'kai snapped, reaching for Shad'ara's forearm to pull her to her feet "Do you love me or is this just feelings stirred up by our time together at the sanctum?" he asked.

Shad'ara went to answer but Lur'kai held a finger to her lips.

"I'm confused!" he growled "I don't know whether if I have feelings for you either…" he murmured "I don't even know what is like being in love…" he murmured, his eyes growing dim as he became depressed.

Shad'ara felt her heart drop as she began to understand where Lur'kai was going with this. For the past week they have been growing closer than just colleagues and friends. Lur'kai would also go through moments to where Shad'ara would be confused by his behavior, like in Murder Row before Lefra showed up. He was going to kiss her. She placed her hands on either side of his face, her heart starting to flutter and her stomach growing warm as she felt his hands starting to rest upon her waist.

"The same thing happened when Valdimirr confessed his feelings, and I told him to just listen to his heart, to follow what his inner self believes in…" she murmured.

"But he didn't have a demon posing as his Inner self…" Lur'kai replied.

Shad'ara chuckled,

"Even if you have an Inner Demon in your subconscious… everyone has an Inner self…" she murmured before placing a gentle kiss on his cheek.

Lur'kai sighed, moving his hands to hold her face, his forehead resting against hers, lying still for a moment, the sounds of the glade filling the silence, creating serenity. After a few moments like that in silence, Lur'kai set his eyes on Shad'ara's, moving his face forward to kiss her a few time before initiating a full on kiss, earning a few low moans as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He broke away, leaving Shad'ara gasping for breath, her cheeks flushed.

"You Inner self told you to do that?" she asked in a comical tone.

Lur'kai turned away, walking along the dock back towards her parent's house, pausing to gaze over his shoulder,

"It also said that I should say the words…" he murmured.

"What words?" Shad'ara asked as she moved towards him.

"These…" he murmured before reaching out to caress her cheek "I love you…" he added, moving in to kiss her forehead before walking back to the house.

* * *

Awe, he said it! :D Tell me what you guys think of all that has happened so far.


	25. The Attack on Nighthaven

A lot of things are happening in this chapter :) I hope you guys enjoy

* * *

Lur'kai sat in the herb garden, watching as Shad'ara picked away at a bush of Silverleaf, tossing the harvested leaves into a basket beside her where several other herbs rested. He smiled when they occasionally made eye contact, causing her smile shyly back at him before hiding her flushed face.

As he was about to stand to make his way over to her, he picked up the distant sound of fighting. Shad'ara peered around the herb to look towards Nighthaven. They were far enough away from the village to see the silhouettes of the buildings, but you could see light flickering through the air in the distance. Moonglade was under attack!

"I'm going to go help!" Shad'ara exclaimed as she ran for the door, leaving the basket of herbs behind.

Lur'kai took hold of her arm, holding her back,

"Allow me to go first, you can at least warn your father and tell him that the people may need his help…" He murmured.

Shad'ara sighed and nodded, watching as Lur'kai began to transform into Kai'goril. She watched as he leapt into the air, making his way over to Nighthaven to lend his aid. She entered her father's home and set her eyes on Lefra, she was sobbing quietly.

"Lefra, what's wrong?" she asked as she moved over to her sister, examining the house, her eyes resting on a table where all the reagents for Zaerindel's cure were smashed.

"A Flame Druid showed up and destroyed the potion and took father away…" Lefra sobbed, grabbing hold of her sister as she cried into her shoulder.

Shad'ara felt her rage boil within. The Twilight's Hammer has gone too far. First she lost her aunt to its seductive whispers, then she lost Valdimirr, then Zaerindel became corrupted, and now her father was kidnapped.

"What about mother, is she alright?" Shad'ara asked as she pulled out of her sister's arms.

"She's alright, if she wasn't bathed in the light of Elune, then she would be in trouble…" Lefra murmured.

Shad'ara nodded before looking towards a window,

"I need to go help Lur'kai in Nighthaven…" she replied before turning away from Lefra, wasting no time getting outside to take the form of Shi'zara.

As she made her way to Nighthaven, her demonic eyes began to pick up the figures of the Druids and their attackers. Her eyes then picked up Lur'kai fighting near the center of the village near the Moonwell, using his scythe and spells to hold back the Flame Druids and Cultists.

She unleashed a volley of Chaos Bolts at his attackers before landing several feet across from him. They made eye contact briefly before continuing their assault on the attackers. Lur'kai tore through the cultists with his demonic claws and his scythe just like he did back in the Hyjal camp. Shad'ara tried her best to keep her form; the spells she unleashed drew from her strength. With one final push, she drew up all her remaining power to unleash a chaos bolt towards a cultist who tried to sneak up on Lur'kai with an Elementium dagger. Now fully weakened, she began to revert back, landing on her knees once she was back in her normal form.

She felt Lur'kai pull her to her feet and lift into the air, keeping her out of harm's way. When she looked down at the battle, she saw a tall male Night elf with green hair and glowing blue markings on his torso, different aspects of the druid forms along his body. He was unleashing a tempest of natural forces, pushing back the attackers, trapping some in a cage of roots while the rest fled. Lur'kai landed when the Druid was finished with his array of storm and nature fury, taking his normal form once they touched ground.

"Arch-Druid!" called one of the druids of Nighthaven.

The Night elf turned and acknowledged the druid who called out to him before examining the town. Shad'ara watched as he made his way over to one of the ensnared cultists, primal fury present in his amber eyes.

"You seek to threat the sacred Moonglade?!" the Arch-Druid growled "Who is the one who sent you?" the Arch-Druid asked with a hiss.

The Cultist laughed,

"You already know who sent us," the Cultist hissed "He who is no longer of this world. Chosen to be the herald of Ragnaros and yet walks upon the earth, burning all in his path!" the cultists added in his maniacal laughter.

Lur'kai turned away from the scene in front of him, his focus now on getting Shad'ara's mana reserves replenished.

* * *

Lur'kai watched as Shad'ara paced around her parent's home, Lefra trying her best to recover the ingredients for Zaerindel's cure.

"Why would they take father?" Shad'ara asked under her breath as she continued to pace, her hands folded across her chest.

"A many different ways Shad'ara…" Lefra murmured "my major guess is that fact he is quite skilled in Alchemy," Lefra added as she plucked a spring off of a strange herb.

Shad'ara sighed and ceased her pacing, turning to face her sister,

"He may be skilled in Alchemy, but the main component in Zaerindel's cure is the herb mother is searching for in the Dream…" Shad'ara replied.

"They probably couldn't get to mother since Elune is protecting her…" Lefra commented, twirling the sprig between her fingers.

Shad'ara sighed sharply,

"Lefra, stop talking as if Elune is present, she isn't a physical being! She is the bloody moon!" Shad'ara hissed.

Lefra flinched at her sister's outburst, her face clearly showing she was appalled.

"Elune isn't just the moon!" Lefra hissed back "She protects her followers as if they were her own children!" Lefra added, her features changing into more of a feline than an elf.

Shad'ara threw her hands up in the air,

"Father believed in Elune too, he started following the ways of the sisterhood in Darnassus when he married mother!" Shad'ara growled "Why didn't Elune protect him?" she asked with venom in her tone "He was a follower too!" she added.

Lur'kai reached out to calm Shad'ara, but she slapped away his hand,

"Don't try to stop this Lur'kai!" Shad'ara hissed.

Lur'kai sighed and stood up, walking over to Shad'ara and holding her tight against him, stroking her hair as he attempted to calm her.

"You don't need to ruin your relationship with your sister," Lur'kai murmured "I'm sure Elune tried to save your father from being kidnapped, but was too late…" he added.

Shad'ara remained silent; Lur'kai looked to Lefra and gestured towards the door leading outside,

"Lefra, could you give us a moment alone?" he asked in a kind tone. Lefra nodded and made her way outside, closing the door gently behind her, leaving Shad'ara and Lur'kai in alone in silence.

Lur'kai looked down to Shad'ara, pulling her face away from his chest and held her face in his hands, his eyes gentle,

"We will get your father back," Lur'kai murmured "don't worry" he added.

Tears started to swell in Shad'ara's eyes, earning a sigh from Lur'kai,

"I'm tired of all these loses…" she sobbed "I just want everything to return to normal…" she added "Aunt Ira not being a homicidal maniac, Zaerindel returned to his normal self… My father not being held by the Twilight's Hammer…" Shad'ara added as more and more tears started to spill from her eyes.

"And for Valdimirr to be alive…" Lur'kai muttered as his face lost all emotion, his eyes growing dim instead "I understand," he whispered "I'll stay out of his lingering shadow so you can be alone…" he added before letting her go and turning away from her, unearthing a hearthstone from his pocket.

Shad'ara gasped and reached out to grab his arm, cutting off the magic flowing from the hearthstone.

"No Lur'kai…" she murmured "I didn't mean it like that…" she added.

Lur'kai sighed and gazed over his shoulder,

"Then what do you really mean then?" he asked "Go on, tell me," he added in a sharp tone.

"She means that she wants all of the pain to go away…" murmured a feminine voice.

Shad'ara and Lur'kai both turned towards the voice's owner, surprised to see Shad'ara's mother, Elunae standing in the doorway of her room, a type of grass shifting between various shades of greens in her hands.

"Mother!" Shad'ara exclaimed.

Elunae smiled and moved towards the Alchemy table where Lefra was working earlier,

"The Twilight's Hammer will pay for what they've done to my son and daughter's heart!" Elunae hissed as she began breaking apart various herbs into a mortar and pestle, mashing them before adding some glowing blue water.

"Mother, are you…" Shad'ara murmured.

Elunae nodded,

"Yes, I am starting to potion…" she answered "Your father may be more skilled in Alchemy than me, but I am quite sure I can brew this potion to the right clarity…" she added as she poured an emerald green paste into a glass vial, placing it above a small flickering flame.

Shad'ara looked back to Lur'kai, worry in her eyes,

"I'm sorry Lur'kai…" she murmured.

Lur'kai nodded as he accepted her apology,

"Now, it will take about a week's time for the potion to be ready," Elunae muttered "in the mean time, why don't you return to Silvermoon, I will send Lefra to retrieve you when it is done…" Elunae added, breaking apart the grassy herb and sprinkling it into the bubbling mixture.

Shad'ara nodded and approached her mother to embrace her,

"Thank you Min'da..." she murmured "I'm sorry about Zaerindel and father…" she added.

"It will be okay dear," she replied "Your father is perfectly safe as long as he continues to believe in Elune…" she added before placing a sweet kiss on the crown of her daughter's head.

Shad'ara pulled out of her mother's arms and walked over to Lur'kai, taking up his hand as he drew the magical properties of his hearthstone around them to take them back to Silvermoon.

* * *

"For being here for only six days, you are sure healing fast…" Twilliara commented as she saw Sorin pass by the infirmary, clad in mail armor, a long bow draped over his shoulder.

He paused and smiled at her,

"Well, I owe my thanks to a fantastic healer…" he replied, kneeling down to pluck a small wildflower from the ground and handing it to Twilliara.

Twilliara chuckled nervously, accepting the flower from Sorin,

"If I was a good healer, you would have been out of the infirmary by day two…" she responded.

Sorin chuckled, placing his hands on his hips,

"Maybe if I didn't have severe wounds like I did…" He replied "Don't be too hard on yourself," he added.

Twilliara smiled before resuming her task of brewing potions for the camp. Not noticing that Sorin was still standing there, studying her.

"You seemed stressed…" he commented after a few moments of silence "You should get transferred to Bloodgulch near the Verall River Delta… it is a lot calmer there," he added.

Twilliara sighed,

"I don't know Sorin, I am quite content here and this is where they need me at the moment…" Twilliara answered, pouring some red liquid into a crystal vial "Besides, the General in charge of this camp is under strict orders to keep me stationed here by my father…" she added as she sealed the vial with a cork.

Sorin moved his hand to his chin in thought,

"Why would your father send orders to a General in the Horde Military to keep you imprisoned here?" he asked.

Twilliara sighed once more, placing her mortar and pestle down on her work table,

"Because my father is highly regarded and he still has authority over me…" she replied "He can't dictate where I choose to go… But he can dictate where I am supposed to stay until the end of my draft…" she added.

"That seems highly unfair…" Sorin commented.

Twilliara nodded,

"Indeed," she muttered "But after all, he's my father…" she added as she added an herb into her mixture sitting in her mortar and pestle.

* * *

Everything seemed more relaxed at the Sanctum now that Lythnar and Sallaria had returned, though only part time since their son still required their care. Shad'ara seemed at ease as well since Violet, the substitute Master Warlock was now gone, there was something unsettling about her whenever she walked the halls of the Sanctum. She sat near a Fel crystal, reading from Lur'kai's grimoire to learn how to study her Void Lord, Gobtai sitting on her shoulder like a cat, muttering the words he managed to read from Lur'kai's grimoire, occasionally snickering as he sensed Shad'ara struggling with decrypting the demonic runes.

"Ah, Lefra… Welcome to the Sanctum," Sallaria commented in a noble tone "here on diplomatic business for the Circle?" she asked.

Shad'ara looked up and saw Lefra bow to Sallaria, exchanging hushed words with her before turning in Shad'ara's general direction.

"Gobtai, go back to the void," Shad'ara murmured "I'll call on you later…" she added as she closed to tome and rose to her feet.

Grumbling incoherently under his breath, Gobtai vanished from his mistress's shoulder, allowing Shad'ara stretched her shoulder properly without having imp claws dig into the skin under her acolyte robes.

"Is the potion finished already?" Shad'ara asked as Lefra paused a few feet away from Shad'ara.

Lefra shrugged,

"Mother didn't send me; I came on my own accord…" Lefra replied "I found some interesting information regarding father and Twill," she added.

Shad'ara's eyes went wide in astonishment, not knowing which information to ask for. She felt Lur'kai's hand on her shoulder, breaking her out of her supposed shock, taking a deep breath before resting her eyes on her sister.

"I can see that you are unsure which information is more important…" Lefra commented "Very well, I'll start with Twill," she added.

Shad'ara took another deep breath as she started to feel an adrenalin rush,

"Twill is safe in Crushblow, uncle's message reached the general in charged before she arrived and is unable to get within ten yards away from the camp…" Lefra explained "As for father, I figured out where he was taken," Lefra added as her face twisted between glee and sadness.

Shad'ara looked to Lur'kai in worry before motioning for her sister to continue, Lur'kai moving to stand across from Shad'ara to help block the line of Laeriel's sight to keep her from interpreting what was going on.

"Scouts of the Cenarion Circle stationed in the Twilight Highlands have picked up whisperings of a male elven captive in one of their major camps," Lefra explained "the scouts were unable to figure out which camp he was being kept, but at least we know which warfront he is being kept at…" Lefra added.

Shad'ara gazed downward, her heart sinking. The last time she was in the Highlands, she lost Valdimirr… She didn't want to go through another loss.

"I'm going to go look for him," she said, looking towards her sister "Father needs to be rescued before the Twilight's Hammer can do any more harm…" she added.

"Absolutely not!" Lur'kai exclaimed "The Highlands is no place for you to go play stalwart rescuer!" he added with a slight growl.

Shad'ara sighed sharply, crossing her arms across her chest,

"I'm not leaving my father in the clutches of the Twilight's Hammer, Lur'kai!" she snapped.

"And I'm not letting the woman I love, go wandering the Highlands alone!" he replied, earning the attention of master Warlock and Acolyte alike.

"I'll be fine Lur'kai…" Shad'ara reassured.

"You're not even fully trained yet!" Lur'kai insisted "for all we know, your aunt could be using this to her advantage!" he added.

Shad'ara sighed, looking to her sister who was now standing between them, her hands outstretched as a calming gesture before stepping back.

"Lur'kai is right, Shad'ara… Aunt Ira has always been one for surprises…" Lefra commented.

"Don't take his side!" Shad'ara hissed "Our father is being held captive by a homicidal maniac, and you are doing nothing!" she added "Just think what would happen to mother if he is killed, think of what it will happen to us, I already lost someone I loved, you haven't!" she hissed once more.

Sallaria had approached them, shaking her head,

"Why don't you talk this over in private…" she offered "This isn't the time or place to be discussing something of this magnitude…" she added.

Lur'kai nodded and grabbed Shad'ara by her forearm, wrapping his arm over her shoulders once she was close and guiding her towards the exit. He paused in the archway that connected to the ramp leading to Murder Row, a raised brow at Lefra.

"You two go on and talk this out, I must return to my duties…" Lefra replied with a slight hiss, clearly fed up with her younger sister at the moment.

Lur'kai shrugged and rolled his eyes,

"Women…" he whispered to himself, earning a rough elbow to his side from Shad'ara he glared up at him.

* * *

"Why won't you let me go rescue my father Lur'kai" Shad'ara asked once they were inside Lur'kai's home.

Lur'kai sighed and locked the door behind him, moving towards his living area, an angry Shad'ara storming behind him. He ignored her prattling and began going through a storage closet, pulling out an ordinary looking scythe, his chosen weapon.

"Don't tell me you are planning on accompanying me…" Shad'ara commented "because last time my lover accompanied me… things didn't turn out so well…" she added.

Lur'kai sighed and tapped the base of his scythe on his ground, causing it to start glowing in a fierce green, blazing Fel fire starting to swirl around it as runes began to appear on the blade.

"What was that all about" Shad'ara asked once more.

"I was attuning my Scythe to its full power…" he replied "This is the Scythe of the Fel-Lash, I forged it in the Sanctum's Fel Forge upon my earning of the title of Master Warlock…" he added.

Shad'ara nodded, though she was still confused on what he was trying to say. Lur'kai sighed again and reached into his storage closet, pulling out a smooth metal pole with a lantern welded to the top.

"And this is the Staff of Fel Flames…" he said, handing her the staff "I forged this for you to use as your weapon of choice…" he added.

As Shad'ara accepted the weapon, it began to glow like Lur'kai's only instead of runes appearing, the lantern lit itself with Fel flames, some swirling around the staff and ethereal avian's starting to circle the lantern before vanishing,

Shad'ara examined the staff before looking to Lur'kai,

"I-I don't know what to say…" she murmured, placing the staff to lean against the wall near the storage closet.

Lur'kai smiled and placed his scythe next to her staff, reaching out to grab Shad'ara by the waist and pulling her close, their noses touching.

"You don't have to say anything…" he murmured before capturing her lips in a kiss "Why go after your father without a good staff to amplify your spells…" he added once they broke apart.

Shad'ara leaned back a bit to look Lur'kai in the face,

"You mean…" she muttered "When can I leave…?" she asked.

Lur'kai kissed her again,

"How about we leave for the Highlands tomorrow…" he replied before kissing her again.

Shad'ara wrapped her arms around his neck, melting into it, not caring that Lur'kai was leading her towards his bedroom.

* * *

Tell me what you think. I worked hard on this. I re-wrote it three times before settling on this outcome.


	26. Troubles in the Highlands

Sorry for the wait, lol... I was busy writing pieces for my Sedsha stories (Elder Scrolls) I hope you enjoy this one :)

* * *

"Zaerindel, you have returned…" Iradari commented as a Blood elf with raven hair appeared in a flash of fiery light "What is it that you need?" she asked with a slight hiss.

The Blood elf knelt down, keeping his eyes glued to the stone floor,

"the target is reluctant to leave the camp to be transferred to a new one, closer to one of our camps…" he answered "her father gave strict orders to the general…" he added.

Iradari brought an ashen hand to her chin in thought before gazing behind her at her newest prisoner, Iranil. She smirked before looking back to the Blood elf,

"Where are my manners, I forgot to introduce you to my guest…" she commented as she motioned for him to rise.

The Blood elf looked behind his mistress and saw a Blood elf chained by his wrists in a large cell behind her, thin ectoplasm-like piles surrounded him, the fragments of Twilight Dragon eggs. She imprisoned him in a holding pen. He looked to his mistress once who nodded slightly before he stepped forward, dropping his guise so he appeared like his Flame Druid self just as the Blood elf started to groan in pain and looking upwards through half closed eyes, as if he had just awoken from a restless sleep. Upon looking at the sight above him, Iranil's eyes widened and started fighting against the chains around his wrists,

"Iradari you wretch!" he growled "What have you done to my son?!" he growled.

Zaerindel heard Iradari chuckle behind him,

"I did nothing, it was his choice…" she chuckled.

"Lies!" he hissed "you are known for manipulation!" he growled "You and your wretched lover who is now dead because of your sick and twisted desire to "help" your daughter!" he snarled.

The chains game to life, emitting a bright violet glow before tightening around his wrists, some that were hanging from the ceiling lashed against him like a whip, causing him to cry out in pain. Zaerindel just sat there with a blank look as his father grew limp from pain, silent cries escaping his lips.

"Watch your tongue or I will cut it out before I make you watch as I kill your children and your wife!" Iradari hissed as the glow from the chains disappeared "Now then, I need to you write a letter for me…" she muttered as she conjured a piece of parchment and a quill.

Iranil remained still as Iradari manipulated the chains on his right wrist, having him grab the quill and begin scratching it against the parchment in elegant handwriting. Zaerindel continuously gazed back and forth to his mistress and his father, watching as Iradari traced each letter she had Iranil write with her index finger. Once she had him sign Linarii's name, she looked to Zaerindel to take up the parchment as the chains once again lost their glow from Iradari's manipulation.

"Assume your disguise, return to the camp and present this to the general, I am sure he will find Linarii's "letter" to his liking…" she said with a dark chuckle.

Zaerindel nodded, unearthing a potion from a satchel attached to his belt, and drinking some before resealing the vial and tucking it back where it belonged.

"It will be done, mistress…" he muttered in his elegant Blood elven voice before disappearing from the room.

* * *

_Darkness was all around him, his vision blurry and a dark maniacal laughter filled his ears. He looked to his right, then to his left before summoning his weapon to him, a scythe with bright green demonic runes with Fel flames swirling around the blade. With each step he took, he would hear a loud bloodcurdling screech followed by the dark laughter. Upon reaching a large room, the darkness cleared and he saw several instruments used for dark experiments. He gazed upon a metal table where armor was laid out. He flinched as the screech filled the air, causing his ears to start ringing. He looked to his side and saw a woman with ashen skin and silver hair manipulating a dark metal to dig into a Blood elven female with brown hair._

_ The woman turned, setting her blazing red eyes on him a smirked viciously, but it wasn't directly at him, but a person standing behind him. He turned around and saw a Night elf with amethyst hair,_

_ "Twilyssa, it is almost time…" the woman murmured._

_ Time for what, he didn't know for his attention was on the falling sensation he began to feel, realizing that it was time to break the trance._

* * *

Lur'kai lurched forward as he sat up; startled from the vision he had received. He had never had one so vivid before. Taking a deep breath, Lur'kai looked down beside him where Shad'ara slumbered peacefully. He sighed before swinging his feet onto the floor, rising and moving over to a privacy screen where he could dress.

Today they were leaving for the Highlands to try and find her father and bring him safely home. Lur'kai sighed heavily as he pulled on his robes, straightening them before tying the laces shut. He walked from the privacy screen with his hand to his chin in thought, his vision still puzzled him, what did that woman mean, Shad'ara's aunt, mean by _"it is almost time"_? His ears perked up as he heard Shad'ara shuffling behind him as she began to awaken from her slumber.

"Is there something wrong?" Shad'ara asked in a sleepy voice as she noticed Lur'kai standing still, she knew the stance he was in meant that he was deep in thought.

Lur'kai gazed over his shoulder, noticing Shad'ara holding the blanket to her chest in a modest attempt to keep her bare chest from being exposed.

"I'm just thinking about the trip…" he lied "You should probably get dressed and get ready to leave…" he added as he moved over to a window to gaze over the city.

Shad'ara sighed and climbed from the bed, keeping the blanket wrapped around her body as she gathered up her clothing from the previous night. Once she was dressed, she approached Lur'kai and held him from behind, standing on the tips of her toes to kiss him on the cheek,

"I will be quick as I am able, I'm going to go pack a few things…" she murmured into his ear before turning and walking away, her fingers slowly slipping from Lur'kai's grasp.

* * *

"Priestess!" called an Orc soldier as he entered the infirmary.

Twilliara sighed and put down her implements, looking to the Orc,

"Yes?" she asked as she dusted her hands "what do you require?" she asked.

The Orc beat his fist against his breastplate a few times,

"The General would like to speak with you, he asked me to escort you to his tent…" the Orc replied.

Twilliara sighed once more, dusting off her robes as she made her way over to the Orc escort, what could the General need her for? She was doing her job; in fact the infirmary was hardly visited by injured soldiers thanks to her healing. The escort weaved through other soldiers as he walked through the camp, walking up a slight rise that lead to a large tent where the General was waiting.

The Orc beat against his breastplate once they reached the general, turning to walk away after he announced her arrival in Orcish, Twilliara wasn't that good in the main tongue of the Horde, but she easily recognized her name.

"I received a letter from your father," the General said in a burly, heavy accented voice "He wants you to go where things are a lot calmer than the frontline camps…" he added.

Twilliara furrowed her brow, why does her father want her to go someplace calmer? Something didn't seem right, the letter had to be a forgery since a few days previous, and Sorin had talked to her about trying to get transferred.

"Are you paying attention?" the general barked.

Twilliara snapped out of her train of thought and stood straight,

"I am now sir, I was just caught up in my thoughts on who is going to replace me here…" she replied.

"I will take care of that," the General replied "for now, gather your things, I am going to ready an escort to Bloodgulch, it is currently the only camp in need of a healer…" the General added as he crumbled a piece of parchment in his hand and tossing it into a bonfire.

Twilliara nodded and turned away, making her way back to the infirmary where her belongings were kept. She passed Sorin on her way, causing her to raise a brow as he smirked slightly at her, giving her a sour feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Twilliara gathered most of her healing remedies, leaving a few behind for the soldiers and replacement healer as she stuffed her few belongings she brought with her into a worn satchel. She paused as she sensed a presence behind her, she gaze slightly behind her before resuming her task.

"Were you behind getting me transferred, Sorin?" Twilliara asked in a tone a mother would use to scold her child.

She heard him chuckle,

"How can I be behind something I don't know about?" he asked nonchalantly.

Twilliara sighed before standing straight and facing him,

"it's strange how you talked to me about getting transferred to another camp a few days before my father sends a letter asking for me to be transferred to the same camp you suggested…" she commented, her arms crossed over her chest.

Sorin gave her a confused look,

"I had no idea…" he replied in a hushed tone "I was just told to retrieve you and accompany you on the escort to the new camp…" he added.

Twilliara rolled her eyes and brushed past Sorin, making her way over to the escort where her violet Hawkstrider was waiting for her. Sorin waited until she was mounted before making his way over to the escort, mounting a tawny colored wolf, grabbing the harness tight as the leader of the escort sounded his horn for the escort to start moving.

* * *

Shad'ara and Lur'kai appeared in Dragonmaw Port a few hours later, earning odd looks from the Dragonmaw Orcs as they walked past them and towards the main gate, not accepting any missions from the Orcs.

Lur'kai sighed as he heard some of the Orcs gossip in Orcish about them, pushing aside a sharp comment as he began to summon his Dreadsteed. The demonic steed snorted a few times, flames escaping it's nostrils before pawing at the dirt with its fiery hooves. He helped Shad'ara mount the demonic beast before climbing into the saddle behind her, snapping the reigns of the steed, causing it to nearly buck them off, with a slight snarl, Lur'kai kicked the beast's side, earning an angry snort from it before it took off running, leaving a trail of flames behind them.

"Where should we start?" Shad'ara asked as they traveled through the Highlands.

"I see a settlement up ahead; we should stop there and ask around…" Lur'kai answered.

Shad'ara nodded, looking ahead to see a silhouette of what she guessed to be an Orc settlement, she hoped it was an Orc settlement, having to deal with the Alliance wasn't her top priority at the moment. Lur'kai grabbed her middle to keep her from lurching forward as his Dreadsteed skid to a stop, one of the monstrous spikes inches from her face.

As Lur'kai jumped down, he was approached by a burly female Dragonmaw Orc, a look of worry on her face,

"Please tell me you are the healer we've been expecting," she said as she rested her eyes on Lur'kai.

"Does it look like I am a healer?" Lur'kai asked in a sharp tone.

The female Orc studied Lur'kai before shaking her head, turning her gaze towards Shad'ara,

"What about you?" she asked "are you the healer?" she asked once more.

Shad'ara shook her head before sliding out of the saddle, walking to Lur'kai's side,

"Why are you so adamant about this healer?" Shad'ara asked.

The Orc sighed,

"I received a letter that the Healer of Crushblow would be transferred here, but she hasn't arrived yet, and it has been several hours…" the Orc replied.

Shad'ara furrowed her brow in thought before looking to Lur'kai,

"We are looking for someone as well… If we can find your healer, maybe you can give us information?" she asked as she held out her hand.

The female thought for a moment before taking Shad'ara's hand in a tight grasp to shake her hand,

"Deal," she replied "I am Miari, temporary healer of Bloodgulch…" she introduced.

"Shad'ara Sunbreeze, Warlock," Shad'ara introduced "and, this is Lur'kai, also a Warlock…" she added.

Miari released Shad'ara's hand to grasp Lur'kai's, but Lur'kai ignored her,

"I don't like dealing with those who waste time…" Lur'kai muttered as he turned for his Dreadsteed. Shad'ara rolled her eyes and mouthed an apology before following after him.

* * *

Twilliara didn't know how they got separated from the escort, but she and Sorin managed to get left behind. She followed after Sorin on foot; he was searching for tracks that might lead them to the escort. When they reached a small fork of the Verall River within a small grotto, Sorin sighed and sat on the ground, his arms crossed over his chest.

"I could have sworn they went this way…" he muttered.

Twilliara sighed and knelt by the river to fill a water skin and bringing it to her lips and taking a few large sips before pulling it away and sealing it. She wiped her mouth cleaned before looking to Sorin, only to find him gone.

"Sorin?" she asked as she looked around the area they were in, confused on where he could go since there was no place to hide.

She flinched at the sound of some loose rocks tumbling down the walls of the grotto before frantically looking around the grotto, her heart racing.

"Sorin, this isn't funny!" she called.

She was rewarded with a dark chuckle coming from behind her; she turned and saw a Night elf with orange skin and a cloaked figure.

"Good work, Sorin… Or should I say, Zaerindel…" chuckled the cloaked figure.

Twilliara recognized that voice. She began to back away in fright, until her back hit something hard, she gazed over her shoulder thinking that maybe it was the rock wall, but instead it was a night elf with dark blue hair and sinister looking armor. He reached out and grabbed her roughly by the shoulders, causing her to start to struggle

"Min'da, why are you doing this?" Twilliara asked in fright.

The cloaked figure removed the hood and revealed Iradari, her black lips twisted into a smirk,

"Because I want to spend time with my baby girl, I haven't seen you in a while…" Iradari replied before summoning some Elementium to bind Twilliara.

She turned to Zaerindel,

"You have done all that I have required, I no longer have a need of you!" Iradari snapped as she too bound Zaerindel in Elementium, but instead of taking him with, she left him behind, "I will be sure to have Twilyssa send her newest hatchlings to come feed on you," she added "after all, you chose her feeding grounds to set the trap…" she chuckled darkly.

Zaerindel struggled against his bonds as he watched his mistress slowly disappear. He kicked and flailed, causing the plant life around him to catch fire and lash around in his anger.

He didn't even notice two figures in the distance running towards him, but as one reached down and took hold of his forearm, yanking him to his feet, he noticed who they were. Shad'ara and Lur'kai clad in their demonic forms.

Lur'kai used his freehand to summon a pulsating black orb surrounded in Fel fire; Shad'ara flinched and took his wrist,

"No Lur'kai," she pleaded in Demonic "We need to give him his potion!" she exclaimed.

Lur'kai rolled his eyes and sighed, dispelling the orb,

"Very well, we will take him back to Bloodgulch and find someone willing to take him to Moonglade for us…" he replied in Demonic "I hope this isn't a trap, why would your aunt leave him bound in Elementium in the middle of a grotto?" he asked in Thalassian.

Shad'ara shrugged, before looking to the skies as she heard a draconic roar,

"We should leave, I don't think that is a dragon that is on our side…" she commented.

Lur'kai nodded and held on tight to Zaerindel's forearm before leaping into the air, Shad'ara following close by, making sure he wouldn't fall.

"Unhand me you wretches!" Zaerindel growled in Darnassian.

Lur'kai sighed and looked to Shad'ara for a translation,

"He wants us to let him go…" she replied in Thalassian.

Lur'kai laughed,

"Like we would do that, your mistress left you to die!" Lur'kai exclaimed as he adjusted his grip on the now flailing Zaerindel.

"I would rather die than to lose the great power bestowed upon me!" Zaerindel snapped "plus, you should be more worried on the mistress and her new pet!" he growled.

Shad'ara flinched, almost falling from the sky as she froze for a brief second,

"We are too late!" Shad'ara exclaimed in Demonic "she has Twill!" she added as tears started to swell in her eyes.

Lur'kai grit his teeth, looking down to Zaerindel,

"Tell me where your mistress's sanctum is!" he commanded, loosening his grip on Zaerindel, almost dropping him.

Zaerindel spat at him,

"Better loosen those lips, or you will be nothing more than a lifeless corpse!" Lur'kai hissed as he loosened his grip once more, Zaerindel slipping slightly.

Zaerindel tried frantically to break his Elementium bonds to grab hold of Lur'kai to prevent himself from falling,

"You have until the count of five to speak you wretch!" Lur'kai growled "One…Two…" he counted.

Zaerindel felt gravity overtake him as he slowly slipped from Lur'kai's grasp.

"Three…Four…" Lur'kai counted once more.

"Alright I'll talk!" Zaerindel shouted as he heard Lur'kai sounded the syllable for five.

"Speak then!" Lur'kai commanded "or you will drop!" he hissed.

"She has a Sanctum in the Twilight Citadel!" Zaerindel exclaimed "I know a secret entrance to it so you won't get caught!" he added as he started to kick his feet.

Lur'kai looked to Shad'ara who matched his gaze with worry.

"When we arrive in Bloodgulch show us on our map," Lur'kai explained "Then it is off to the Moonglade with you!" he hissed as he began to fly towards Bloodgulch.

Zaerindel nodded frantically before sighing in relief when he felt Lur'kai tighten his grasp. What had he done? He had betrayed his mistress by telling her enemies about the secret entrance to her lair… But no, she had betrayed him, left him as food for young Twilight dragons. He was nothing more than a tool for her, and now he is a tool for the wretches that were bringing him to the Orc Settlement.

* * *

Dun, dun, dun...


End file.
